Leaking from the bowel, or not being able to hold wind or stool when the urge comes, is often a pelvic floor problem, like leaking from the bladder, and the same muscles help close both outlets. In September 2026 the newer Emsella chair model was FDA-cleared in the US for faecal incontinence, the first Emsella clearance to name it. The earlier models are cleared for urinary incontinence only, and the clinician tells you plainly at the free consultation which model our chair is and what its clearance covers. In our practice a course is six sessions of 28 minutes over three weeks, sitting fully clothed, at Emsella Clinic, 8 Devonshire Place, with the price in writing.
What the chair does for the bowel
HIFEM energy from the seat makes the whole pelvic floor contract thousands of times a session, and the floor includes the muscles around the anus that hold stool and wind. A floor that has weakened after childbirth, with age or after bowel surgery closes more firmly as it strengthens. The 2026 clearance rested on a test showing the chair makes the anal sphincter muscles contract, in a chair identical in design to the earlier cleared model. We quote no figure for faecal incontinence from the chair's own studies, because the published Emsella series measured urinary symptoms, and we say so.
When to see a doctor first
Faecal incontinence needs a diagnosis before any private treatment: a tear from childbirth, a nerve problem, bowel disease or a prolapse of the bowel each need their own assessment. New symptoms, bleeding or a change in bowel habit need your GP first. In our practice the clinician asks about all of these at the free consultation and says if a referral comes first.
The course and booking
Six sessions, twice a week over three weeks, with a symptom score before, at the end and at the six-month review. Call Emsella Clinic on 0207 099 9659 or use the form below. The stress incontinence page covers the bladder, and the full Emsella guide the rest.
