Please note: my Emsella sessions were provided to me at no cost, in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid for my feedback, and I do not stand to gain any in any way from folks who may choose to use this service based on my review.
Like so many other women my age (late 30’s), motherhood had really done a number on me. My stomach is now accessorized with the translucent stripes of skin stretched to make room for growing humans, my breasts hang much lower than I thought possible after breastfeeding two children for 3 years, and my pelvic floor – well, it was more like pelvic swiss cheese. It was not holding anything in anymore. Jumping on the trampoline or a sneeze that caught me off guard would almost certainly result in a little golden dribble, and my menstrual cycles brought intense pain and discomfort when it began to feel like one wrong move would make my cervix fall out of my body.
I had done traditional pelvic floor therapy in the past, but just wasn’t seeing the results I’d hoped for. I assumed that as a woman, this was just our destiny. This is how we lived as we aged. That like all our body parts, things age and degrade and this was another of those joys. Let’s be real – modern medicine doesn’t care too much about advancing women’s health (because it would only take one male CEO to experience menstrual cramps or an ovarian cyst bursting before money began to rain from the heavens to solve these “unimaginable ailments”).
In January 2024, my local medi-spa (Flirt Cosmetics Studio, female owned + operated by the sweetest human rays of sunshine on the planet) debuted the BTL Emsella® Chair – an FDA and Health Canada approved electromagnetic pelvic floor stimulator designed to strengthen one’s pelvic floor. In 28 minute sessions, the chair would deliver High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Technology (HIFEM), the equivalent of you doing 11,000 kegels. This technology has been proven to strengthen and re-educate your pelvic floor muscles (see below sources).
- A Comparative Study on the Effects of High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Technology and Electrostimulation for the Treatment of Pelvic Floor Muscles and Urinary Incontinence
- Electromyographic Evaluation of the Pelvic Muscles Activity After High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Procedure and Electrical Stimulation in Women With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
The BTL Emsella® Chair was designed to help all genders with all three types of urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction due to weak pelvic floor muscles, including erectile dysfunction.
- Stress Incontinence: Exerted pressure on the bladder resulting from coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising.
- Urge Incontinence: A sudden need to urinate as soon as possible.
- Mixed Incontinence: A mix of stress and urge incontinence.
Okay. I was sold. 6 sessions of 28 minutes each over the course of 3 weeks was all it would take – and I could see how I felt after. My hopes weren’t overly high, because what do you mean these vibrations and frequencies would strengthen my pelvic floor?
Well, stick a feather in me and call me Macaroni. After *one* session, I began seeing results. This wasn’t impossible of course, it just wasn’t the norm. Two days after my first session, a rogue sneeze snuck up on me and I didn’t squeeze my legs together in time. Boom. No golden dribble. I was shocked.
After my third session (10 days after my first), my menstrual cycle began. My cramps were much less intense than normal, I didn’t feel the typical sensation of my cervix threatening to evict itself from my body, and probably the most unexpected result? My tampons stayed in. No slippage. No sliding. No coming out during regular quick bathroom breaks. I didn’t believe this reality could exist for me at this age, after having children.
The treatment is not invasive at all, with the frequencies intended to be focused directly on your perineum. I’d liken it to rhythmic vibrations with some clicks and snaps – not painful in the slightest (even at 100% intensity). Most folks require 6-8 sessions to maximize results, and some health spending accounts will cover the expenses.
Before Emsella® treatment can begin, you will have a free consultation to determine if this procedure is suited to you. Some situations would exclude you from being a candidate for Emsella® treatment such as:
- During pregnancy
- If you have metal implants in your body
- Diabetic folks who wear dexcom monitors
- If you have a pacemaker
- If you suffer from heart disorders
After my treatment plan of 6 sessions, here is what I noticed:
- I could now stop urinating mid-stream and hold it for 5+ seconds
- No leakage at all during coughing or sneezing
- Significant reduction in pressure felt during my menstrual cycle
- Tampon insertion was less painful, and they stayed in place
Obviously, results will vary person to person and some folks who require the most intervention to repair their pelvic floor (such as surgical procedures) may not see any benefit. But I am a true believer. And while I believe pelvic floor physiotherapy should be a health care system inclusion and offered to everyone, sadly we are not there yet as a society.
As of this blog post (August 2025), it has been 19 months since my first BTL Emsella® chair treatment. I have had 3 maintenance sessions (after my initial set of treatments, at the 12/15/18 month marks), and I am still really happy with the results. I can’t help but be discouraged at how society discounts how much damage the pelvic floor experiences throughout one’s life (especially those who have had children), and think how badly our mothers and grandmothers must have suffered in silence. My hope is that speaking openly about my experience with pelvic floor dysfunction and Emsella®, it might give others the courage to seek their own pelvic floor support as well.
I trust Flirt Cosmetics and Body Studio entirely and my BTL Emsella® journey with them was as smooth as possible.
You can check them out here –> https://flirtcosmetics.ca/pages/emsella
or check out BTL directly to find a trusted clinic offering this service near you –> https://btlaesthetics.com/en/clinics-near-me
Please note: my Emsella sessions were provided to me at no cost, in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid for my feedback, and I do not stand to gain any in any way from folks who may choose to use this service based on my review.