What to expect from pelvic floor chair therapy is simpler than many people fear: a free consultation, then 24 sessions of 20 minutes over 8 weeks, about three a week. You sit fully clothed while a magnetic field in the seat makes the pelvic floor muscles contract. Nothing is inserted, there is no internal exam, and you can go straight back to work.
Here is each step in order, from the first phone call to maintenance, plus plain answers to the questions people are often too embarrassed to ask.
Step One: The Free Consultation
Pelvic floor chair therapy at Elume is provided by Restore Innovations, an independent practice located within Elume Medspa in Fairfax. Everything starts with a free consultation, and you choose the format:
- By phone: 15 minutes, and Restore Innovations calls you.
- In person: 30 minutes at the suite inside Elume Medspa.
Both are by appointment only. Expect to talk through your symptoms, what you have already tried, your health history and anything that would rule chair therapy out. Restore Innovations quotes each plan individually, and if a plan is recommended, the full cost is explained before your first session. For an overview of the treatment itself, see the pelvic floor therapy in Fairfax page.
Still deciding whether a chair is the right route? Pelvic floor chair therapy vs pelvic floor physical therapy compares the two fairly, and the guide to bladder leakage treatment options covers everything from lifestyle changes to surgery.
According to the manufacturer, the chair’s technology is FDA-cleared for the treatment of urinary incontinence in women. That clearance covers women, not men. Restore Innovations sees men too, and men talk through whether chair therapy suits them at the free consultation.
Who Should Not Have Chair Therapy
Chair therapy is not suitable if you:
- are pregnant or may be pregnant
- have an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator
- have a history of cardiac arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation
What to tell the operator
Raise any metal or electronic implants at the consultation, and mention them again to the operator before your first session. If anything changes during the program, such as a possible pregnancy or a new heart rhythm diagnosis, tell the operator before your next session rather than after it.
When to see a doctor
Chair therapy is not a replacement for medical care. See a doctor first if you notice blood in your urine, pain or burning when you urinate, a fever, sudden new symptoms, trouble emptying your bladder, or leakage that started after a new medicine.
Your First Session, Minute by Minute
There is nothing special to wear. You stay fully clothed for the whole session, so choose whatever is comfortable. There are no probes, wires or electrodes, and nothing touches your skin.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Arriving | Check in with Restore Innovations at the suite inside Elume Medspa. Mention any change in your health since the consultation. |
| Sitting down | You sit on the chair fully clothed, the way you would sit on any chair. |
| Setting the intensity | The certified Pelvic Wave operator sets the intensity with you. It can be changed if it feels too strong. |
| The next 20 minutes | The electromagnetic field in the seat, reaching up to 4 inches deep, causes involuntary pelvic floor contractions: more than 5,600 in a 20 minute session, according to the manufacturer. Most people read or use their phone. |
| Leaving | You stand up and go. There is no downtime, so you can drive home or head back to work. |
You do not need to do anything during the session. The contractions are involuntary, so they do not depend on you finding the right muscle yourself. That is one reason people whose Kegels are not working look into chair therapy.
What It Feels Like
Expect tingling and the feeling of the pelvic floor muscles contracting on their own. Does it hurt? It should not. The intensity is set with you and can be changed, so tell the operator if it feels too strong.
During the first 2-3 weeks, you may notice mild muscle soreness, similar to the way muscles feel after a workout. Mention it to the operator if it bothers you. Otherwise there is no downtime: people drive home and go back to work the same day.
The 8-Week Program, Maintenance and Your Schedule
The 24-session program
The program is 24 sessions over 8 weeks, about three a week, and each session lasts 20 minutes. Keeping to roughly three a week is the rhythm the program is built around.
Fitting it around work
Each visit is 20 minutes of sitting with no downtime, and you can drive yourself there and back, so it can fit around a working day. Visits are by appointment only, so it helps to book a few weeks ahead. Ask about appointment times that suit your schedule at the consultation.
Maintenance
After the 8-week program, maintenance is 3 sessions every 6 months. Ask how maintenance fits into your plan, and its cost, at the consultation.
Honest expectations
No one can promise how much chair therapy will help or how quickly. A 2021 meta-analysis of six small sham-controlled trials found magnetic stimulation reduced stress leakage in women compared with a placebo treatment, although the authors flagged study-quality problems. A 2025 systematic review of five small studies (about 219 women) found chair-based magnetic stimulation was associated with less leakage, but rated that evidence low certainty. None of these studies used the Pelvic Wave chair; they tested other magnetic chairs.
Guidelines start with supervised pelvic floor muscle training for at least 3 months for stress leakage. Chair therapy is an option people consider when exercises have not helped enough or are hard to do correctly, not a replacement for medical care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do they do an internal exam for pelvic floor chair therapy?
No. You sit on the chair fully clothed, nothing is inserted and nothing touches your skin. There are no probes, wires or electrodes, and no internal exam is part of the therapy.
Does pelvic floor chair therapy hurt?
It should not. You will feel tingling and the muscles contracting, and the operator sets the intensity with you and can change it. Mild, workout-like muscle soreness is possible during the first 2-3 weeks.
What should I wear to pelvic floor chair therapy?
Wear whatever is comfortable. You stay fully clothed for the whole session, so there is nothing to change into.
Can I go back to work after a pelvic floor chair session?
Yes. There is no downtime, so people drive themselves home or head straight back to work. Each session is about 20 minutes of sitting.
How many pelvic floor chair therapy sessions will I need?
The program is 24 sessions over 8 weeks, about three a week, followed by maintenance of 3 sessions every 6 months. Restore Innovations explains the plan it recommends, and its full cost, before your first session.
Talk It Through With Restore Innovations
If you are ready to find out whether chair therapy suits you, the first step is a free conversation. You can book a free 15 minute phone consultation, where Restore Innovations calls you, or a free 30 minute consultation in person at the suite inside Elume Medspa in Fairfax. You can also call (571) 299-8780. Consultations are by appointment only.
Sources
- About Bladder Leakage, Pelvic Wave (accessed 2026)
- 510(k) K973096, Neotonus Model 1000 Muscle Stimulator System, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (1998)
- Efficacy of magnetic stimulation for female stress urinary incontinence: a meta-analysis, Therapeutic Advances in Urology (2021)
- Systematic review of chair-based magnetic pelvic floor stimulation in women with urinary incontinence (Sacarin et al.), Journal of Clinical Medicine (2025)
- Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women: management (NG123), NICE (2019)