The effects of menopause on the genitourinary system (the system that includes the bladder and urethra) can be far reaching and have a big impact on the lives of menopausal and post-menopausal women.
During the menopause, there is a drop in estrogen, which affects many areas of the body including your skin and hair, the metabolic system (which causes that pesky weight gain), and the genitourinary system. It also slows down the rate of collagen production in the entire body, including the vaginal canal, which is one of the most common contributors to incontinence in menopausal and post-menopausal women. This leads to a thinning of vaginal tissue and slower tissue regeneration, causing even more issues for women, such as vaginal dryness and increased looseness in the area, known as vaginal laxity.
When a variety of symptoms in the genital and urinary systems begin to appear – including symptoms like pain during sex, vaginal dryness, an increased susceptibility to UTI’s and stress incontinence – it is known as Genitourinary Symptoms of Menopause, or GSM. GSM affects around half of menopausal and postmenopausal women, and, unfortunately, only gets worse over time, meaning it won’t resolve without treatment.
It is primarily this weakening in the vagina and in the pelvic floor muscles (the muscles that support the pelvic floor, including the bladder and urethra) that leads to the higher likelihood of stress incontinence after menopause, which is also a common symptom of GSM.
Stress incontinence is incontinence that occurs when stress is put on the abdomen and muscles around the abdomen and pelvic floor, like when you cough, sneeze, laugh or lift heavy objects. It happens when your muscles around the bladder and urethra aren’t strong enough to support them. The weakening of the pelvic floor and general vaginal laxity, which are usually brought on by the menopause, often causes this lack of support.
Estimates from the National Association for Continence show that over 200 million people worldwide are affected by some form of incontinence, which is where BTL Emsella treatment comes in! Using electromagnetic technology to target the pelvic floor, BTL Emsella helps reduce the symptoms of incontinence without having to do lots of time-consuming muscle exercises like Kegels, which some women with very weak pelvic floor conditions can’t actually carry out.
The High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology used by the BTL Emsella is a revolutionary treatment that targets the pelvic floor muscles using electromagnetic currents to stimulate muscular contractions and lift the pelvic floor muscles. We know this all sounds complex and uncomfortable, but it is actually a completely painless treatment that can be done in as little as half an hour!
The treatment is based on creating targeted and deep stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles to what is called a ‘supramaximal’ level. This means that they contract and tense past their natural maximum, meaning your pelvic floor gets an amazing workout in comparison to normal kegel exercises which are commonly prescribed. This is made possible as the technology targets the muscles without telling the brain to move them, so the contractions are completely physical. It also helps retrain muscles to stop any little accidents from happening in the future too.
BTL Emsella treatment not only strengthens pelvic floor muscles in the same way tensing muscles in the arms or legs would strengthen them, but also actually stimulates the growth of new protein strands and muscle fibres. This helps to ensure that after treatment not only are the muscles stronger, they are also more responsive, so that you can control your bladder with much more security and comfort.
BTL Emsella is an FDA approved, non-surgical, completely unintrusive procedure designed to combat the cause and the symptoms of postmenopausal incontinence. A BTL Emsella treatment only takes around half an hour per session, and you can feel the results straight away after treatment. A course of TEN sessions over FOUR weeks is needed to make sure you get the best results. The treatment has zero recovery time, is comfortable and relaxing, and – unlike many other vaginal tightening treatments – can be carried out fully clothed.
If you want to find out whether BTL Emsella treatment is right for you, contact Estrada Clinic on 07701024293, and see how we can help you get your life back from post-menopausal incontinence!
If you think that BTL Emsella may be right for you, contact Estrada Clinic on 07701024293, and see how we can help improve your pelvic health or Get in Touch in the form below.
The results of BTL Emsella treatment can be seen as soon as after the first treatment in some women. However, we recommend a minimum course length of ten weekly treatments (preferably two sessions per week) to see optimum results from the treatment, and most people see and feel some results after two or three treatment sessions.
The procedure is not at all painful, and many people bring along friends or family to chat to during treatment. You may also want to bring a book or magazine to read while on the Emsella chair or we can always have a good conversation or two!
Some women feel the tensing and relaxing of the pelvic floor muscles during treatment, but this has been described as a very similar sensation to regular kegel exercises, and isn't uncomfortable.
A single BTL Emsella treatment takes less than half an hour - 28 minutes to be precise!
While some women will feel results after the first treatment, a minimum of 8-10 weekly or bi-weekly sessions is appropriate to feel the optimum results of BTL Emsella. We'll tailor your treatment plan to you and your body to create the most effective results but we offer more treatment sessions than any other clinic for your money. This is because, being the longest standing Emsella clinic in the Northwest, we have over five years experience of women and men's incontinence issues and know that six treatment sessions is not enough for the majority of people. Please keep this in mind when looking for the best clinic for you.
If you are struggling with stress incontinence, BTL Emsella might be the perfect treatment for you.
BTL Emsella can improve the symptoms of stress incontinence caused by menopause or childbirth, as well as other intimate health conditions, including vaginal laxity and difficulty reaching orgasm.
However, if you are pregnant, have a pacemaker, have metal plates in your body, such as hip replacements or if you have a copper coil or IUD, then BTL Emsella is not suitable for you, and we can help give you the information you need to choose a different treatment in these cases. You should also remove any intimate piercings before treatment with BTL Emsella, and you cannot use Emsella when on your period as the treatment increases blood flow to the area!