We Tried The Esmella Chair

We’re all about self-care at Woman’s Way. In this issue, Niamh O’Reilly tries out the Esmella Chair to see if it can help strengthen her pelvic floor.

Urinary incontinence and weak pelvic floors used to be a huge taboo subject in Ireland. For many women it still is. Thankfully that’s changing, with celebrities like Vogue Williams and Davina McCall opening up the conversation in an honest, frank, no-nonsense way.

Before I had two babies in three years, I didn’t have any issues with my pelvic floor. Fast forward to today and it’s weaker. I’m now getting to the stage where I sometimes need to cross my legs when I sneeze for fear of leakage. It’s not pleasant, but it’s not something I feel embarrassed to discuss, as it’s hugely common. Women no longer need to suffer in silence or just muddle along, as there are a range of options to improve things.

What?

The Esmella Chair, approved by the US Food & Drug Administration, uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy to cause deep and intense pelvic-floor muscle contractions, stimulating the entire pelvic floor area while helping to restore neuromuscular control. A single session causes thousands of supramaximal pelvic-floor muscle contractions.

Why?

Urinary incontinence affects around one in five women in Ireland with stress incontinence being the most common. That is, uncontrolled loss of urine due to movement like jumping, running, lifting or simply sneezing.

For women, factors like pregnancy, hormonal changes, menopause, and ageing can cause the pelvic floor to weaken.

Starting off

The chair itself looked perfectly innocuous. The beauty of this treatment is that you can remain fully clothed, and it is non-invasive. The sensation was not at all unpleasant and reminded me of those Slendertone slimming belts that were all the rage in the '90s. It’s the same kind of feeling, only obviously right in your pelvic floor.

Midway Through

Sitting in the right position was key to reaching the correct muscles and with owner Giselle Gerka’s expert knowledge, she had me exactly where I should be, and I could feel it working my muscles. The pulses changed their frequency during the treatment, and I could feel different areas being stimulated. Again, it was not painful at all, and we chatted all things pelvic floor as I sat there

End Result

After 30 minutes, the treatment ended, and I really felt as though I was much more aware of my pelvic floor and how complex the muscles are down there. I found it hugely beneficial and in fact, I found myself doing Kegels all the way home in the car. A course of six treatments, twice a week is recommended, it does depend on the individual and the condition of the pelvic floor and Giselle will discuss your needs in detail beforehand to tailor the treatments to your requirements.

For more information visit gerkaclinic.com

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