Sponsored by BTL Industries
With the addition of a newly launched applicator, users of the EMSCULPT® platform from BTL Industries, Inc. (Boston, Mass.), can now harness the pelvic floor and core muscle stimulation power of EMSELLA® without purchasing an entirely new device.
EMSCULPT is intended for improvement of abdominal tone, strengthening of the abdominal muscles, development of a firmer abdomen; strengthening, toning and firming of buttocks, thighs and calves; and improvement of muscle tone and firmness, for strengthening muscles in arms. The operator- and consumable-free EMSELLA is intended to provide entirely non-invasive electromagnetic stimulation of pelvic floor musculature for the purpose of rehabilitation of weak pelvic muscles and restoration of neuromuscular control for the treatment of male and female urinary incontinence.
The unique high intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) capabilities of the complementary devices are engineered to non-invasively induce muscular hypertrophy1, strengthening and toning for therapeutic purposes well beyond the capability of exercise or physician therapy alone.
According to OB/GYN Carolyn DeLucia, MD, director of VSPOT MediSpa in New York City, N.Y., who has been in the aesthetic arena since 2002, non-invasive body contouring has been one of the fastest-growing procedures for the past seven years. “I have owned many of the devices that have come and gone in this space. EMSCULPT is the first to market capable of affecting fat with visible results while simultaneously building muscle,” she shared. “For patients who desire a full body transformation, there is no other procedure that comes close. Now, with its ability to build muscle in the arms and calves, and the addition of EMSELLA for the pelvic floor, this machine encompasses the most comprehensive body contouring device available up to this point.”
Joining an EMSELLA applicator to EMSCULPT was an obvious move given the devices’ related purpose, function and mechanism of action. “The addition of the pelvic floor platform allows for full core development,” Dr. DeLucia continued. “As the only non-invasive device specifically FDA cleared for the treatment of all kinds of urinary incontinence it can treat the condition most efficiently. It is also logical that improving abdominal wall strength using the EMSCULPT will improve the results of the EMSELLA treatment of the pelvic floor musculature. The combination is a definite improvement.”
The EMSELLA ‘chair’ applicator joins EMSCULPT’s large (for buttocks or abdomen) and small (for arms and legs) applicators. While six, 28-minute treatments given twice weekly is a typical course with EMSELLA, EMSCULPT requires approximately four, 30-minute sessions at intervals of at least two to three days.
Urologist Judson Brandeis, MD, an expert in sexual medicine and male rejuvenation in San Ramon, Calif., also believes that the two applications go hand-in-hand, especially given the unique methods employed. “EMSCULPT and EMSELLA both use HIFEM in specific protocols that alternate intensities and pulse rhythms to fully work the targeted musculature with tens of thousands of supramaximal contractions. This provides a complete, thorough stimulation for the core, pelvic floor or skeletal muscles, depending on the applicators used. The range of exercises one would need to work these areas successfully would take a lot of time without the same level of benefit because exercise cannot duplicate the therapeutic effect of the HIFEM procedure.”
EMSELLA was originally intended to strengthen and restore the reduced function of pelvic floor muscles that can affect a variety of women’s health issues, but rebuilding pelvic and core muscles have been shown to improve male and female urinary incontinence, a condition that affects more than 200 million people worldwide.2 In a study presented at the 2018 American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery annual conference on energy-based medicine and science, more than 67% of patients saw reduced use of hygienic pads after EMSELLA treatment as per study protocols.3
Dr. Brandeis treats men with incontinence regularly. “EMSELLA is the first technology able to create lasting strength in the pelvic floor, the set of muscles holding up the pelvic organs. When you try to stop urinating or clench your buttocks, you are flexing your pelvic floor muscles. By strengthening these difficult-to-train muscles, we can improve these sphincters beyond their original capacity. This works both for incontinence after prostate surgery as well as uncontrolled urinary dripping that occurs as we age.”
And as with EMSCULPT, EMSELLA also has research using credible measures backing its claims, including pelvic floor ultrasound.4
Together, EMSCULPT and EMSELLA provide “Core to Floor” therapy, a combination of HIFEM stimulation designed to build and strengthen the core muscles and pelvic floor specifically to combat conditions such as incontinence and abdominal separation, according to Dr. DeLucia.
“Research has shown that about two-thirds of women are affected by abdominal separation after childbirth, and more than 65% of women with abdominal separation also have pelvic floor disorder, so the need is there,” she emphasized. “While there is still much to be studied, it is obvious that treating abdominal separation and pelvic floor disorder, together, will have complementary benefits due to the contiguous nature of the musculature. In my experience, after Core to Floor therapy, patients showed a significant increase in quality of life, leading to a return to activities, such as exercise, that they were no longer enjoying.” The effect of EMSCULPT on abdominal separation has also been demonstrated in scientific study.5,6
Cosmetic dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD, who practices at Manhattan Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in New York, N.Y., believes EMSCULPT with EMSELLA does wonders for the mommy makeover. “Post-childbirth moms need more than sit-ups to restore the musculature of the abdomen and pelvic floor,” she stated. “Women who have undergone C-section surgery aren’t ideal candidates for more abdominal surgery if they have abdominal separation. Having this kind of non-invasive, nonsurgical option available is a major benefit to patients and practitioners alike. The hassle, risk, downtime and cost are all reduced significantly.”
References:
1. Duncan D, Dinev I. Noninvasive induction of muscle fiber hypertrophy and hyperplasia: effects of high-intensity focused electromagnetic field evaluated in an in-vivo porcine model: a pilot study. Aesthet Surg J Oct 2019: epub ahead of print.
2. Wallin A, Sahlin N, Bruine de Bruin W.
Incontinence affects more than 200 million people worldwide, so why isn’t more being done to find a cure? ScienceNordic online April 2018. https://sciencenordic.com/researcher-zone-sweden/ incontinence-affects-more-than-200-million-people- worldwide-so-why-isnt-more-being-done-to-find- a-cure/1454073 Accessed 12 Mar 2020.
3. Samuels J., MD, Guerette N., MD, HIFEM Technology – The Non-Invasive Treatment of Urinary Incontinence. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, 2018 Dallas, Texas.
4. Silantyeva E, Zarkovic D, Astafeva E, et al. A comparative study on the effects of high-intensity focused electromagnetic technology and elec- trostimulation for the treatment of pelvic floor muscles and urinary incontinence in parous women: analysis of posttreatment data. Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg December 2019: epub ahead of print.
5. Kinney BM, Lozanova P. High intensity focused electromagnetic therapy evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging: Safety and efficacy study of a dual tissue effect based non-invasive abdominal body shaping: MRI evaluation of electromagnetic therapy. Lasers Surg Med. 2019;51(1):40-46.
6. Kent DE, Jacob CI. Computed tomography (CT) based evidence of simultaneous changes in human adipose and muscle tissues following a high-intensity focused electromagnetic field (HIFEM) application: a new method for non- invasive body sculpting. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019 Nov 1;18(11):1098-1102.
