BTL EMsella chair for incontinence

Never heard of the EMsella chair. Did a bit of reading and what I found was a mixed bag. Essentially similar treatments have been around for over a decade although the BTL EMsella device is fairly new to the market. As far as I can tell there has been only one study of electromagnetic fields treatment for incontinence in men after prostate surgery.

Reducing urine leakage after radical retropubic prostatectomy: pelvic floor exercises, magnetic innervation or no treatment? A quasi-experimental study.

Most of the studies I have looked at seem to suggest that the treatments seem to work somewhat for women with stress incontinence but the improvements don't appear to last long after the end of treatment.

Here's a fairly typical review study from a couple years back.

Efficacy of electromagnetic therapy for urinary incontinence: A systematic review.

Their conclusion: There is no firm evidence to support the benefits of using MS in the management of UI, although short-term outcomes suggests that MS improves UI symptoms in women. The applicability of MS as a treatment option for UI remains uncertain until larger, high-quality trials with longer follow-up periods using comparable and relevant outcomes are conducted.

Note that "no firm evidence to support the benefits" is not the same thing as "firm evidence there are no benefits". It's just that the studies have been small, and poorly structured, and the results somewhat all over the map.

There's no reason not to try the EMsella chair if your insurance covers it and/or it's not too expensive. Similar treatments have had excellent safety records and some people in some studies seem to find it helpful.

$333 dollars a session isn't absurdly expensive, as such things go, but whether it is too expensive will depend on the state of your finances and whether you see any perceptible benefits from the treatments.

The impression I have gotten from my reading is that the benefits, such as they are, are similar to those you get from the sort of Kegel exercise training offered by physical therapists. Both show temporary improvements that only last a few months if the treatment/exercise is discontinued. The advantage of the Kegel exercises, at least as it seems to me, is that once you have learned to do them properly, you can continue to do Kegel exercises for free.

If you don't see the improvements you are hoping for you might consider talking to your doctors about a sling. It is a relatively minor surgery to install a sort of a mesh hammock that supports the urethra near the urinary sphincter, holding it in a position where it can function better. I'd talk to a number of urologists in your area, looking for one who has done a lot of sling surgeries. (Try to get numbers, low-volume surgeons tend to think they have done "a lot" of procedures even if the number is in the single digits.)

I'm a 59 year old male and completed the emsella treatment - actually did 8 sessions instead of 6. Significantly decreased my symptoms I would say it improved it about 85%. It has been 4 weeks now and it seemed to improve even more after about 2 weeks out. Interested to see how it holds up. I can just say things feel different down there in a much better way.