EMSELLA for Pelvic Floor Strengthening and Urinary Incontinence in Karachi
Weak pelvic floor muscles can affect bladder control and may contribute to urinary leakage. Pregnancy and childbirth, ageing, hormonal changes and certain medical conditions can all be associated with pelvic floor weakness.
EMSELLA is a non-invasive pelvic floor stimulation system that uses HIFEM® (High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic) technology to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles. The treatment is performed while the patient remains fully clothed and seated on the specially designed EMSELLA chair.
By producing repeated, intense pelvic floor muscle contractions, EMSELLA is designed to help strengthen and re-educate the pelvic floor muscles and support neuromuscular control.
What Is EMSELLA?
EMSELLA is a chair-based medical device designed for non-invasive pelvic floor muscle stimulation.
The system uses focused electromagnetic energy to reach the pelvic floor muscles and induce repeated contractions. A single 28-minute session produces approximately 11,000 supramaximal pelvic floor contractions, meaning contractions stronger than you could achieve voluntarily.
Unlike traditional pelvic floor exercises, where the patient voluntarily contracts the muscles, EMSELLA uses electromagnetic stimulation to activate the pelvic floor muscles automatically. This matters because many people cannot correctly identify their pelvic floor muscles, and a significant proportion who believe they are performing Kegel exercises correctly are not.
The treatment does not require needles, surgical incisions or an internal applicator, and patients remain fully clothed during the session.
How Does the EMSELLA Device Work?
The key technology behind EMSELLA is HIFEM®, or High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic technology.
During treatment, the patient sits on the centre of the EMSELLA chair. The device generates a focused electromagnetic field that passes non-invasively through the pelvic area and stimulates the pelvic floor muscles.
This stimulation produces repeated, powerful contractions. These contractions are intended to exercise the pelvic floor muscles and support the restoration of neuromuscular control. The stimulation reaches the entire pelvic floor, rather than only the muscles a patient can consciously control.
The process can be thought of as an intensive pelvic floor workout performed while sitting comfortably on the EMSELLA chair.
What Can EMSELLA Help With?
EMSELLA is primarily associated with pelvic floor muscle strengthening and urinary incontinence management.
It may be considered for suitable patients experiencing:
- Urinary leakage
- Stress urinary incontinence
- Certain cases of urge or mixed urinary incontinence
- Weak pelvic floor muscles
- Pelvic floor weakness following childbirth
- Pelvic floor weakness associated with ageing
- Urinary incontinence in men, including following prostate surgery
An important point about assessment. Urinary leakage can have several different causes, and not all of them are pelvic floor weakness. Blood in the urine, pain, recurrent urinary infections, a sudden change in symptoms, or difficulty emptying the bladder all require proper investigation before any assumption is made. We will assess you properly and refer you on where that is appropriate. EMSELLA is a good treatment for the right problem and the wrong treatment for a problem that has not been identified.
EMSELLA for Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine and can occur for different reasons.
When pelvic floor muscles are weak, they may provide less effective support for bladder control. This can contribute to leakage, particularly during activities that increase pressure on the bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or exercising.
EMSELLA stimulates the pelvic floor muscles through HIFEM technology, producing repeated contractions designed to strengthen and re-educate these muscles. Clinical research has investigated HIFEM-based pelvic floor stimulation as a non-invasive approach for urinary incontinence.
EMSELLA and Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening
The pelvic floor consists of muscles that help support the pelvic organs and play an important role in bladder control.
Regular pelvic floor exercises, commonly known as Kegel exercises, can help strengthen these muscles. However, some people have difficulty correctly identifying or adequately contracting their pelvic floor muscles.
EMSELLA provides electromagnetic stimulation that produces repeated contractions without requiring the patient to voluntarily perform each contraction.
The purpose is to provide intensive pelvic floor muscle stimulation and support muscle re-education.
What Happens During an EMSELLA Session?
Before treatment, your medical history and symptoms should be discussed to determine whether EMSELLA is suitable for you.
For the treatment itself:
- You remain fully clothed.
- You sit on the EMSELLA chair.
- The device delivers focused electromagnetic energy to the pelvic floor.
- The energy stimulates repeated pelvic floor muscle contractions.
- The intensity is adjusted according to the treatment protocol and individual tolerance.
You may feel your pelvic muscles contracting repeatedly, along with a tingling sensation. The sensation can become quite strong as the intensity increases, but the treatment is non-invasive. Nothing is inserted, nothing is injected, and you do not undress.
An EMSELLA session lasts approximately 28 minutes.
How Many EMSELLA Sessions Are Needed?
We usually recommend six to eight sessions of 28 minutes, taken twice a week.
The exact number depends on how severe your symptoms are and how you respond. Milder cases often do well with six. Patients with more established weakness, or those who have had several children, frequently benefit from eight.
Many patients notice a difference after two or three sessions, and the fuller effect usually develops over the weeks following the final session as muscle strength consolidates.
Results are not permanent, because muscle tone is not permanent. Most patients maintain their result with a session roughly twice a year, and continuing pelvic floor exercises at home helps prolong it.
Response varies with the severity and type of incontinence. Milder cases respond best, and severe incontinence may require a different approach, which we will tell you rather than starting a course that will not be enough.
Is EMSELLA Painful?
EMSELLA does not involve injections, needles or surgical incisions.
During treatment, patients generally feel repeated pelvic floor contractions as the electromagnetic stimulation activates the muscles. The sensation can become intense, similar to a strong muscle workout.
Individual comfort levels vary, so the treatment intensity is adjusted accordingly.
EMSELLA Recovery and Downtime
Because EMSELLA is a non-invasive treatment, there is no surgical wound or incision to heal.
Patients remain fully clothed during treatment and can return to normal activities immediately after the session.
Some people may experience temporary muscle fatigue or a workout-like sensation in the pelvic area following treatment, and some feel slightly stiff on standing up from the chair. Neither interferes with normal activity.
Who Should Not Have EMSELLA?
EMSELLA cannot be performed if you have:
- Any electronic implant, including a pacemaker, implantable defibrillator, nerve stimulator or drug pump
- Metal implants in the pelvic area, including surgical plates, screws or a metal hip replacement
- A copper intrauterine device, which would need to be removed or the treatment avoided
- Pregnancy, or the immediate postpartum period
- An active malignancy
- A bleeding disorder
- Fever or acute illness at the time of treatment
- Epilepsy
- A significant heart condition
Requires assessment before treatment: recent abdominal or pelvic surgery, where treatment is normally delayed for three to six months with clearance from your surgeon; any untreated urinary or gynaecological condition; and any implant elsewhere in the body.
Please tell us about every implant and device, and about any coil you have fitted. Some of these mean we cannot treat you at all.
What Are the Side Effects of EMSELLA?
EMSELLA is well tolerated, and there are no incisions, wounds or injections to recover from.
Common: mild pelvic muscle soreness or fatigue for a day or so afterwards, and a tingling sensation during treatment.
Less common: temporary muscle spasm, mild discomfort when sitting, or a short-lived increase in urinary urgency before improvement begins. Some patients find their symptoms briefly feel worse before they get better.
Contact the clinic if you develop pain that does not settle, new bleeding, or any symptom that concerns you.
Who May Be Suitable for EMSELLA?
EMSELLA may be considered for adults experiencing pelvic floor weakness or certain forms of urinary incontinence.
A consultation is important because urinary leakage may result from different underlying conditions. Your symptoms will be evaluated to determine whether pelvic floor stimulation is appropriate.
Your complete medical history should be discussed before treatment, including any implanted electronic or metallic devices.
EMSELLA vs. Kegel Exercises
Both EMSELLA and Kegel exercises are intended to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles, but they work differently.
With Kegel exercises, you voluntarily contract and relax your pelvic floor muscles. This reaches only the muscles you can consciously control, and requires you to identify them correctly.
With EMSELLA, HIFEM technology generates repeated electromagnetic stimulation that causes the pelvic floor muscles to contract, reaching the whole pelvic floor and delivering in one session an amount of work that would take months of daily exercises.
EMSELLA should not automatically be considered a replacement for pelvic floor exercises. Continuing exercises at home is what makes the result last, and depending on your condition, pelvic floor physiotherapy may be recommended alongside EMSELLA.
EMSELLA vs. Surgery
EMSELLA is fundamentally different from surgical treatment for urinary incontinence.
It is a non-invasive pelvic floor stimulation procedure and does not involve surgical incisions or implantation of a device.
For many patients, particularly those with mild to moderate stress incontinence, a conservative approach is reasonable to try first. It is not a replacement for surgery where surgery is genuinely indicated. Severe incontinence, significant prolapse and certain anatomical problems require surgical assessment, and we will refer you appropriately rather than delay treatment you actually need.
Why Choose Dr. Nakhoda’s Skin Institute?
Dr. Nakhoda’s Skin Institute is a skin and aesthetic centre in Karachi offering technology-based and personalised treatment options.
Dr. Tasneem Nakhoda is a Board Certified Dermatologist with more than 20 years of experience and training in Pakistan and the USA.
We understand this is not an easy thing to come in and discuss. Consultations are private and unhurried, you will be assessed properly rather than simply booked onto a course, and we will tell you honestly if EMSELLA is not the right answer for your symptoms.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is EMSELLA?
EMSELLA is a chair-based device that uses HIFEM® technology to stimulate and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles through repeated electromagnetic contractions.
Do I need to remove my clothes for EMSELLA?
No. EMSELLA treatment is performed while the patient remains fully clothed. Nothing is inserted and there is no internal examination during treatment.
How long is an EMSELLA session?
Approximately 28 minutes.
How many EMSELLA sessions do I need?
We usually recommend six to eight sessions, taken twice a week, with the number depending on the severity of your symptoms and your response. Most patients then have a maintenance session about twice a year.
Can EMSELLA help urinary incontinence?
EMSELLA is designed to stimulate weak pelvic floor muscles and restore neuromuscular control for urinary incontinence. Suitability depends on the underlying cause and type of incontinence, which is why assessment matters.
When will I notice a difference?
Many patients notice improvement after two or three sessions, with the fuller effect developing over the weeks after the course finishes.
How long do the results last?
Muscle tone is not permanent, so results are not either. Most patients maintain them with a session roughly twice a year, along with pelvic floor exercises at home.
Is EMSELLA only for women?
No. EMSELLA is used for pelvic floor treatment and urinary incontinence in both women and men, including after prostate surgery.
Can EMSELLA help after childbirth?
Yes, this is one of the most common reasons patients come to us. We would normally wait until you have fully recovered from delivery, and timing is discussed at consultation.
Can I have EMSELLA if I have a copper coil?
No. A copper IUD is a contraindication. It would need to be removed, or a different treatment considered.
Can I have EMSELLA with a pacemaker or metal implant?
No. Electronic implants and metal implants in the pelvic area are contraindications.
Explore EMSELLA Treatment
If you are experiencing urinary leakage or concerns related to pelvic floor weakness, EMSELLA may provide a non-invasive approach to pelvic floor muscle stimulation.
Schedule a private consultation at Dr. Nakhoda’s Skin Institute in Karachi to discuss your symptoms and determine whether EMSELLA treatment is appropriate for you.
