EMSELLA, pelvic-floor muscle training and bladder training work on related goals through different methods. They can belong in the same conversation; they are not interchangeable names for one treatment.
EMSELLA: externally delivered muscle stimulation
The chair uses electromagnetic energy to stimulate repeated pelvic-floor contractions. Treatment is delivered in a clinic while you are seated and clothed. Assessment determines whether stimulation is relevant and suitable.
Pelvic-floor muscle training: learning and practising control
Supervised training includes learning a correct contraction and relaxation, improving coordination and progressing a programme. It is more than a reminder to “do Kegels”. NICE recommends a supervised programme of at least three months as first-line treatment for women with stress or mixed incontinence.
Bladder training: changing the response to urgency
Bladder training can use a diary, an agreed voiding schedule and strategies for managing urgency. NICE recommends at least six weeks for urgency or mixed incontinence in women. The plan should suit the person and their diagnosis.
What do comparative studies tell us?
A small HIFEM-versus-exercise study reported sustained improvements in symptom-related quality of life. Related 2026 trials have asked whether stimulation adds to pelvic-floor training, with differing results. A 40-woman sham-controlled pilot did not demonstrate a significant time-by-group interaction. A separate 44-woman trial reported advantages for selected outcomes when stimulation was added to supervised training.
These studies help refine treatment choices. They do not establish that every magnetic device, exercise programme or patient group has the same result.
A useful plan combines the right tools
Ask what each part of the programme is intended to change, how progress will be measured and when it will be reviewed. Continuing an appropriate exercise or bladder-training plan may remain valuable during a device course.
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Start with a conversation
No payment upfront. Start with a complimentary consultation and screening at ¹EM Prahran. Nothing is collected at your first visit. If you proceed, payment is collected from your second visit onwards, with your plan and full costs explained and agreed before treatment. No obligation to proceed. Suitability and results vary.