The symptoms of an overactive bladder can sometimes feel like they take over your life. But at Phases Skin Care & Laser Center, we know there is more to you than urinary incontinence. That’s why we are so proud to offer a non-invasive overactive bladder treatment in Indianapolis that tackles urinary incontinence by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor!
Medication is not always the best solution for everyone, and pelvic muscle exercises can only go so far. Emsella is an overactive bladder treatment that is a fantastic solution and works for many who are suffering with urinary incontinence. Keep reading to learn more about Emsella and other solutions offered at Phases Skin Care & Laser Center!
What is an overactive bladder?
According to the Urology Care Foundation, Overactive Bladder (OAB) is “the name for a group of urinary symptoms.” Typically, the most prominent symptom of OAB is urinary incontinence, which is the unintentional loss of urine.
This often manifests as “urge incontinence,” the sudden and uncontrollable urge to urinate resulting in the unwanted voiding of urine. OAB and urinary incontinence can be extremely difficult to manage and can lead to low self-esteem, sexual dissatisfaction, isolation from friends and family, and much more.
Stress incontinence vs OAB
Stress incontinence is different from urge incontinence with OAB. With stress incontinence, urine leakage happens due to physical movement, like sneezing, laughing, or running. Patients who experience stress incontinence usually don’t experience the sense of urgency that is typical with OAB and urge incontinence.
OAB & pelvic floor muscles
The pelvic floor muscles play a big role in the urination process. These muscles sit under the bladder and urethra and help retain urine inside the bladder until you are ready to void it.
Things like childbirth, menopause, and the natural aging process can weaken the muscles of the pelvic floor. When this happens, it becomes more difficult to control the release of urine, resulting in symptoms like urge and stress incontinence.
Overactive bladder treatment in Indianapolis | Emsella
Emsella is a quick, pain-free, non-invasive treatment used to treat urinary incontinence by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor!
How Emsella works
Emsella utilizes High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic (HIFEM) energy to stimulate the muscles of the pelvic floor.
Each Emsella treatment contracts the pelvic floor muscles more times than is possible through any other exercise or treatment, and helps to restore the strength and stability needed to stop incontinence. Take a look at how your treatment session will go at Phases.
Consultation
Each of our surgical and non-surgical treatments begins with an in-depth consultation. We value our consultation process highly because it allows us to truly get to know you and your needs.
During your consultation, you’ll sit down with one of our highly-skilled and compassionate team members and we’ll gain insight on your medical history, unique concerns, and desired results. This will allow us to craft a comprehensive and customized treatment plan that addresses your specific concern.
You’ll also be able to ask any questions you might have about the treatment during this time, and we would be more than happy to answer them.
Treatment
The Emsella treatment itself is incredibly straightforward. You’ll arrive at our offices and we will guide you to our treatment room. You’ll sit on the Emsella chair fully-clothed and simply let the chair do its magic.
Each session typically takes around half an hour, and during this time you are welcome to read, listen to music, or just lay back and relax!
Recovery
Emsella requires absolutely no downtime. You are welcome to return to all normal activities immediately following the treatment!
Follow-up and results
We recommend a series of about 6 Emsella treatment sessions for optimal results. We’ll discuss the exact timeline of your treatment during your initial consultation, but typically we space these sessions out about twice a week.
Patients report seeing improvement in urinary incontinence after 3 to 4 sessions, with optimal results after all 6 sessions and within 3 weeks! You are of course welcome and encouraged to continue getting maintenance treatments as needed.
Ideal candidate
An ideal candidate for Emsella overactive bladder treatment in Indianapolis is a man or a woman who struggles with level 0 to 1 urinary incontinence due to a weakened pelvic floor.
Commonly asked questions about overactive bladder treatment in Indianapolis
Does Emsella hurt?
Nope! Emsella is completely comfortable and absolutely pain-free. You will feel the device working, though. It can feel like a tingling or vibrating sensation.
How does Emsella benefit sexual wellness?
Along with treating urinary incontinence, Emsella also provides exceptional benefits to sexual health and wellness.
Emsella can improve the health of the vaginal tissue, which can improve vaginal dryness and make intercourse more comfortable.
Additionally, this healthier tissue is oftentimes more sensitive, which can improve orgasm and sensation during intercourse.
How long do Emsella results last?
Results from Emsella typically last around 6 months, at which time you should contact us about continuing maintenance treatments!
Who shouldn’t get Emsella?
Those who are pregnant, who have copper IUDs, or who have metal devices such as pacemakers or hip replacements should not have an Emsella treatment.
Other overactive bladder treatments in Indianapolis
Here are a few other ways to combat urinary incontinence:
ThermiVa
ThermiVa is a vaginal rejuvenation treatment that helps to treat mild incontinence by strengthening the pelvic muscles with radiofrequency! ThermiVa also treats:
- Vaginal dryness
- Labial laxity
- Decreased sensitivity or sexual pleasure
If you want to learn more about ThermiVa, contact our offices today to schedule a consultation!
Pelvic floor exercises
You can, of course, always supplement your Emsella treatments with at home pelvic floor muscle exercises called Kegels. There are a few ways you can do these.
For one, sit comfortably with your legs and buttocks relaxed. Try to recreate the sensation of stopping urine mid-stream. You should feel a tightening of the vaginal area without squeezing the legs together.
Repeat this exercise up to 10 times. You can do this at any point throughout the day!
Medication
There are medications available that can help manage your overactive bladder. This treatment option is typically more beneficial to those with severe urinary incontinence. Emsella and ThermiVa may provide benefits in addition to the use of medication.
Misconceptions about overactive bladders
We understand that talking about incontinence can potentially be embarrassing, which leads to quite a few common myths and misconceptions when it comes to overactive bladders. We are here to dispel some of those myths so that you can feel even more empowered to take action against OAB!
Myth 1: Urinary incontinence is a “normal” part of getting older
Although incontinence is more common among people over the age of 60, incontinence at any age is not typical. Buying into the myth that incontinence is just a normal part of getting older only leads to isolation, depression and anxiety, and low levels of self-esteem.
If you are experiencing symptoms of an overactive bladder, you deserve to get help to remedy those symptoms. You should never have to live with urinary incontinence no matter your age!
That said, the experience is not uncommon. Which leads us to our next myth:
Myth 2: Nobody else experiences incontinence
Incontinence due to OAB and other factors is a considerable health issue in the United States and worldwide. If you are someone who experiences urinary incontinence, you are not alone! Do not let the fear of being the only one stop you from seeking treatment for the problem.
Myth 3: You should just drink less water
Drinking less water is not a proper way to manage OAB, and you should never deny yourself water as a way to treat it!
Your water intake has little to no effect on whether or not you experience incontinence. Managing your overactive bladder by drinking less water will only lead you to become dehydrated.
Myth 4: Only women experience OAB
Some people see urinary incontinence as more of a women’s issue than men’s, but OAB is prevalent in both men and women. Do not let gender stop you from seeking treatment for OAB! Emsella for men is just as effective, and can also tackle erectile dysfunction.
Schedule a consultation
If you’re ready to take back control of your life and stop hiding from the world, it’s time to schedule a consultation with us to discuss our overactive bladder treatment in Indianapolis!
Not quite ready to come see us in person? Check out our virtual consultation tool! This tool allows you to seek expert treatment recommendations without leaving the comfort of your home. Simply input your symptoms and we’ll send you results straight to your inbox.
