Will a small kidney stone cause pain?

Sometimes: Even small stones can be very painful. The good news is that they are easier to pass. Drink lots of pure water and try relaxation exercises including visualizing the stone leaving your body. I have had patients tell me this works. Also, get an evaluation by an expert to find out how to prevent more stones. With proper testing, we can find ways to prevent over 90% of recurrences.

Ureteral stone: The size of the stone does not correlate well to the intensity of the pain. The nearly unbearable pain of "ureteral colic" is from spasm of the muscular ureter. Although likely to pass on its own within a few days, a 2-3mm stone sometimes will get stuck and fail to progress. Usually after 5 days, i recommend having the stone extracted with a ureteroscope as an outpatient.