EASY COME, EASY GO

HIFEM® Treatment of Pelvic Floor Muscles for Urinary
Incontinence and Female Sexual Dysfunction

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common and distressing condition which interferes with daily life. It is defined as an involuntary loss of urine affecting mainly the female population. UI is estimated to affect about 20-30% of young women and about 30-40% of middle-aged women. The rate of UI prevalence rises to 50% in in the case of elderly women. Overall, incontinence is estimated to affect 200 million people worldwide.

UI patients often experience discomfort related to urine leakage and the subsequent need to use absorbent pads. The continence mechanism is primarily maintained by a proper function of pelvic floor muscles (PFM). PFM supports pelvic organs and helps control continence. However, due to physiological changes such as ageing, childbirth or hormonal changes, PFM can weaken and is then unable to provide sufficient support for pelvic organs and bladder control, leading to the direct consequence of incontinence.

FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION
Beyond incontinence, PFM is also crucial for supporting adequate genital arousal and attainment of an orgasm. Pelvic floor and its functioning are closely linked to a healthy female sexual cycle. Firmer muscle tone adds intensity to the muscle contractions during orgasm and enables a woman to identify, isolate, and command PFM. Hence, the development of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) due to the weakening of PFM can potentially lead to denervation of the female erectile tissues followed by sexual dysfunction. The worldwide prevalence of female sexual dysfunction is estimated to be up to 63%. And according to data from the National Association For Continence (NAFC), women with undiagnosed incontinence report loss of self-confidence in 54% of cases and loss of intimacy in 45% of cases.

TREATMENT OF PFD
The usual approach for the treatment of PFD is to strengthen the PFM. These methods treat the weakened PFM via stimulation. Examples include the Kegel exercise, PFM exercise with bio-feedback, surface and intravaginal electro-therapy. However, all these treatment methods have their limitations. It is estimated that 30-50% of women do not perform PFM exercises properly while a common issue with electrical stimulation is the discomfort caused by the electrodes and the risk of vaginal infections.

However, recently, a new technology called high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM®) stimulation treatment has been introduced to treat PFM problems. HIFEM® technology is known for its stimulative effects. The electromagnetic field passes in a non-invasive manner through the neuromuscular tissue where induced electric currents depolarize neuronal cells and initiate action potentials. The high frequency of action potentials then leads to selective and supramaximal muscle contractions. Research has documented that HIFEM® technology is able to treat abdominal as well as pelvic muscles and that it is an effective and safe treatment mode.

HOW BTL EMSELLA WORKS
BTL EMSELLA works by utilising HIFEM® to cause deep PFM stimulation and restoration of neuromuscular control. Key effectiveness is based on focused electromagnetic energy, in-depth penetration and stimulation of the entire pelvic floor area. A single BTL EMSELLA session brings thousands of supramaximal PFM contractions which are extremely important in the muscle re-education of incontinent patients, women after childbirth and those with decreased intimate satisfaction. It treats the muscles and main components of connective tissue in the pelvic floor area. Other procedures, such as intravaginal electro-stimulation, have a risk of burns and is unable to create the same effect as the electrical current only treats tissues superficially. As for Kegel exercises, patients are not able to properly contract the PFM. They must also practice Kegels at least 3 times a day and do hundreds of repetitions in order to see some results.