Recruiting

BTL Emsella vs. Sham

Sponsor:

Corewell Health East

Code:

NCT04873037

Conditions

Overactive Bladder Syndrome

Overactive Bladder

Urinary Frequency

Urinary Urgency

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

BTL Emsella Chair

Sham BTL Emsella Chair

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this clinical trial is to compare the Emsella Chair therapy to Sham and to determine whether electromagnetic technology is effective in the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB). Currently there are no other studies utilizing the Emsella Chair for the treatment of OAB. Eligible subjects will receive 2 treatments per week for a total of 4 weeks.

Conditions

Overactive Bladder Syndrome

Overactive Bladder

Urinary Frequency

Urinary Urgency

Study ID

NCT04873037

Start date

Nov 22, 2021

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Dec, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Able to read, understand, and provide written, dated, informed consent prior to screening, and be likely to comply with study protocol, including independently complete study questionnaires and communicate with study personnel about AEs and other clinically important information.
2. Women and men ≥ 18 years of age
3. Self-reported bladder symptoms present ≥ 3 months
4. Self-reported failed conservative care of behavioral modifications and/or oral medications
5. On a stable dose of antimuscarinics/beta-3 agonists for ≥ 4 weeks, and willing to remain on the medication for the duration of the study OR discontinued antimuscarinics/beta-3 agonists for ≥ 2 weeks
6. Ambulatory and able to use a toilet independently, without difficulty
7. Subject agrees not to start any new treatment for OAB (medication or otherwise) during the treatment and follow-up periods.

For Females Only:
8. If of child-bearing age and female, agree to practice approved birth-control methods (oral contraceptives, condom barrier, injection, diaphragm or cervical cap, vaginal contraceptive ring, IUD, implantable contraceptive, surgical sterilization (bilateral tubal ligation), vasectomized partner(s))

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Botox® use in bladder or pelvic floor muscles in the past year
2. Subject weighs greater than 330 pounds
3. Pulmonary insufficiency, defined as difficulty breathing and fatigue, especially during exercise; chest pain, such as squeezing, pressure of tightness; the sensation of rapid or irregular heartbeat (palpitations); swelling of the legs or feet; dizziness or fainting; and/or bluish discoloration of the nails and/or lips (cyanosis)
4. Any condition that causes a lack of normal skin sensation to the pelvis, buttocks, and thighs, at the discretion of the investigator.
5. Major metal implants such as: metal plates, screws, joint replacements, implanted cardiac pacemakers, drug pumps, neurostimulators, electronic implants, copper intrauterine devices, defibrillators, and metal implants in the pelvic area. Patients with other metal implants will be evaluated by the investigator for inclusion in the study.
6. Subject has a piercing between the waist and knees and is not willing to remove it before each treatment
7. Active urethral diverticula
8. Known vesicoureteral reflux
9. Currently healing from surgical procedures where muscle contraction may disrupt the healing process
10. Subject is currently receiving treatment for a malignant tumor that would interfere with study participation. Skin cancers are permitted.
11. Subject has used the BTL EMSELLA device previously
12. Subject has urinary incontinence of neurogenic etiology, such as multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, Parkinson's, spinal cord injury, diabetic neuropathy, neurogenic bladder etc.
13. Current urinary tract infection. If a subject has a confirmed symptomatic UTI at screening, per investigator's clinical judgment, they will be deferred from screening until treatment is completed, and may resume once symptoms have resolved
14. Current use of neuromodulation therapy, including interstim and PTNS, for bladder symptoms within 3 months of screening visit (if past sacral/pudendal implant, must be explanted)
15. Currently participating in an investigational study that may impact study results or previously received an investigational drug or treatment within 30 days of the Screening Visit
16. Current or history of any physical condition that, in the investigator's opinion, might put the subject at risk or interfere with study results interpretation

For Females Only:
17. Pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, at screening or anytime throughout the study period

  • Note: For the sake of preserving scientific integrity, one or more of the eligibility criteria have been left off the list posted while the trial is ongoing. A full list of eligibility criteria will be posted upon completion of the trial.

Study Design

Enrollment

166 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: Emsella Chair Active Treatment

Active subjects will be asked to sit on the center of the device and the height will be adjusted until the subject's feet are on the floor. The active treatments are individualized, since some subjects will be more sensitive than others. The Emsella chair will be turned on and the setting gradually increased to the subject's sensory threshold; the maximum sensation the subject can tolerate. The setting will be decreased slightly and stay unchanged for the reminder of the treatment. The treatment threshold should be increased with every treatment until the subject reaches 100%.

placebo comparator: Emsella Chair Sham Treatment

Sham treatment subjects will be positioned on the device in the same manner. The sham treatment will provide some sensation without active HIFEM technology. The programming for the sham treatment will have an amplitude limitation, with the setting below the therapeutic level (less than 10% power).

Interventions

BTL Emsella Chair

The Emsella Chair is a novel high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology for the treatment of pelvic floor related disorders. HIFEM technology induces deep pelvic floor muscle contractions designed to deliver the equivalent of 11,200 Kegel exercises over 28 minutes. The treatment paradigm consists of 3 different phases. The phases consist of an intense stimulation of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM), which consists of stimulation and relaxation. The repetition of the phases and focused electromagnetic energy delivery leads to pelvic floor stimulation, adaptation, and remodelation.

Sham BTL Emsella Chair

The sham treatment will provide some sensation without active HIFEM technology. The programming for the sham treatment will have an amplitude limitation, with the setting below therapeutic level (less than 10%) power.

Primary outcome measure

  • Compare the efficacy of Emsella Chair versus Sham by evaluating the proportion of subjects reporting "moderately improved" or "markedly improved" responses on the Global Response Assessment (GRA) for overall bladder symptoms. [ Time Frame: 4 weeks after completing all treatments; week 8 of the study ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Locations

Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital

Recruiting

Royal Oak, Michigan, United States, 48073

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Kenneth Peters, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Corewell Health East

Last update posted

Jul 9, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • Overactive Bladder

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Corewell Health East on 2026-07-09.