In early 2018, Health Canada approved a radical new treatment for stress and urge incontinence called Emsella.
‘Em’ stands for electro-magnetic and ‘sella’ is latin for chair. Emsella is a high-frequency electromagnetic chair that stimulates pelvic floor muscle contractions. By simply sitting in the chair, fully clothed, you can do 11,800 pelvic muscle contractions (kegels) in 28 minutes. In effect, your pelvic floor gets a supramaximal workout to greatly improve muscle strength and tone.
How does this help incontinence?
In our youth the bladder is strongly suspended by ligaments and supported from below by the pelvic floor musculature. As we age the ligaments stretch (especially with pregnancy) and pelvic floor muscles weaken and drop. This ‘drop’ changes the angle of the bladder outlet increasing the risk of leaks or full-blown incontinence.
If the bladder floor is weakened due to aging, pregnancy, surgery, or radiation, incontinence or leaking is often the result. When you strengthen the pelvic floor, it tightens up and better supports the bladder thereby improving the bladder angle and continence.
Wouldn’t it hurt to exercise the pelvic floor so much?
Emsella treatment is entirely painless, albeit a bit odd feeling at first. The Emsella is designed to clear lactic acid throughout the treatment so there are no sore muscles the next day.
How many treatments are required?
Six to eight treatments are required. Each treatment is done twice weekly or once weekly depending on your condition. Maintenance treatments are needed periodically, often just a single treatment once or twice a year.
How effective is it?
Emsella can be very effective. Sometimes it can outright stop leakage if bladder incontinence is mild to moderate, but even in individuals with my severe leakage issues, Emsella can lessen the severity of the incontinence. If you wake up multiple times a night to urinate then Emsella could help you sleep through the night!
It’s expensive isn’t it…
Well yes, Emsella treatment is not cheap. The Emsella chair is somewhat like an MRI, a very expensive and complex medical device, and so the cost of treatment reflects the high cost of the technology.
BUT, a third of the treatment cost may be covered by third party insurance if you see a pelvic floor physiotherapist for this procedure, and the portion not covered by insurance is still a medical expense to claim on your income tax return if it is prescribed by a medical professional. A full series of 8 treatments costs $2000.
Why should I see a pelvic floor physiotherapist?
Emsella treatment results are optimized when you’re under the care of a specialist pelvic floor physiotherapist. And a pelvic floor physiotherapist can offer additional treatment options to optimize continence.
Where can I see a pelvic floor physiotherapist and get Emsella treatment?
It’s best to look for a clinic that has Emsella and then inquire if you’ll be under the care of a pelvic floor team of medical professionals that includes a pelvic floor physiotherapist. If so, a portion of the cost could be covered by your third party medical benefits (check with your insurer to see if you have physiotherapy coverage).
Any contraindications, side effects?
There are some contraindications to treatment such as implanted medical devices (eg pacemakers) and metal implants in the treatment zone (eg hip replacement).
During consultation your nurse or physiotherapist will determine if you’re a good candidate for treatment. There are no negative side effects, but possibly positive ones! Many people report an improvement in sexual function after treatment with Emsella. This is likely due to the fact that Emsella improves blood flow to the pelvic region.
Is Emsella for men and women?
Emsella treats male and female stress and urge incontinence. It can also improve sexual function in all genders.
Anything else I should know?
Since incontinence is a medical condition, it’s best to visit a medical clinic that provides Emsella treatment. There are other types of businesses that provide Emsella but you may not be under the care of medical professionals. For optimal results it is recommended to attend a clinic with a pelvic health team of medical professionals (doctors, nurses, pelvic floor physiotherapists).
Learn more about Emsella treatments and book a consultation at ArtMed today.
