Integrative Review of Mutrashmari (Urolithiasis): Correlation of Ayurvedic and Modern Perspectives

Abstract

Mutrashmari, described in Ayurvedic literature as a disorder characterized by the formation of urinary calculi, has important clinical parallels with contemporary urolithiasis. This review brings the two medical frameworks into comparison across etiology, disease development, clinical manifestations, classification, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Classical Ayurvedic sources describe Ashmari in relation to Dosha involvement, urinary stasis and disturbances of diet and lifestyle, and recommend Nidana Parivarjana, Shamana therapies, selected herbal formulations, Basti-based approaches and Shastra Karma according to clinical circumstances. Modern medicine explains stone formation through urinary supersaturation, crystal nucleation and growth, retention within the urinary tract, and metabolic, dietary, infectious and genetic determinants. Contemporary diagnosis relies on clinical assessment, urine and biochemical evaluation and imaging, with non-contrast computed tomography providing highly accurate assessment of stone location, burden and density in appropriate clinical settings. Management ranges from hydration and dietary or metabolic correction to medical expulsive therapy and procedures such as shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The comparison identifies several shared practical domains, especially dietary habits, adequate hydration, lifestyle measures, recognition of symptoms, and individualized care. An evidence-based integrative model can retain contemporary standards for diagnosis and procedural safety while evaluating Ayurvedic preventive and therapeutic approaches through experimental, pharmacological, and appropriately designed clinical studies.