Two kinds of leaks
- Stress incontinence — leaking when you cough, sneeze, laugh, lift or exercise.
- Urge incontinence — a sudden, strong need to go, and not always getting there in time.
Many people have some of both. Childbirth and menopause commonly weaken the pelvic floor in women, and men leak too.
Start with these at home
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases describes two first steps (NIDDK):
- Bladder training. Go to the bathroom on a schedule, slowly stretch the time between trips, and keep a bladder diary to see the pattern.
- Pelvic floor muscle exercises. Often called Kegels — squeezing and relaxing the muscles that hold urine in. The NIDDK reports that women who did pelvic floor training had fewer leaks.
The catch is that many people find it hard to tell whether they are squeezing the right muscles, and harder still to keep at it every day.
Where Emsella comes in
Emsella does the pelvic floor work for you. You sit fully clothed in a chair for 28 minutes while electromagnetic stimulation makes those muscles contract over and over. A usual course is 6 sessions, once or twice a week, with a touch-up every 3 to 6 months.
It treats stress and urge incontinence, weakness after childbirth or menopause, and leakage in men. Some insurance plans may cover it for incontinence; the office will help you check. Details are on the Emsella page.
Keep doing the home work
Emsella and the NIDDK’s first steps are not either-or. Bladder training and daily exercises help keep the strength Emsella builds.