Recently a friend had mentioned that she had visited Urospot clinic here in Toronto. “Life changing” is how she described it. No sooner than I had followed the company on Instagram, owner Erin Craven reached out and personally invited me into learn more about what they are all about. A quick ride on the TTC lead me to a leafy neighbourhood along the Kingsway where women (and men) can turn to for pelvic health treatment.
Craven, a mom of four, left her highly successful career in the corporate health care industry world to start her own company. After having her own issues with pelvic health and listening to her own friends suffer silently, particularly after childbirth, she knew she had to do something about it. She knew the treatments were out there to strengthen the pelvic floor yet there were not many options here in Canada. She tells me that two out of three women suffer with either bladder leaks, urgency, pelvic organ prolapse, and/or sexual dysfunction.
I told her that the first time I really heard about these issues was when a friend who, at the time was 35 and already given birth to two children, was heading into surgery to repair damage that was done. I never forget the sadness she carried under a brave face with her uncontrollable bladder leaks and how she described painful intercourse that she hid from her partner. Now years after having surgery she still continues to have the issues and believes that she just has to live with it.
Yes, she was told to do Kegel exercises but let’s face it, many of us forget. But could something like the Urospot help?
Craven mentioned that the treatment, that is actually covered under physiotherapy if you have company benefits, has been around for a while and is popular in Europe and has been approved by Health Canada as well as the FDA in the US. And it’s really gaining attention in Canada. She tells us there are several out there in the market place but what makes this particular “Kegel Throne” different?
First off, it’s non-invasive. You sit on the modern looking chair fully clothed. Nothing goes inside the body. A session takes about 28 minutes. The high tech chair utilizes High Intensity Focused Electromagnetic technology to cause deep pelvic floor muscle stimulation. Within that time your muscles will experience 11,000 Kegels. Nothing hurts. I tried it. During that time clients can read a book, magazine, watch TV or Netflix in their soothing space.
But what’s also different here is that clients don’t just come for a “quick” fix. Let’s be clear, this isn’t like going to a medispa for your botox. Craven is passionate about helping clients understand the importance of pelvic health and what they can do to support themselves moving forward. It something that many women will only talk to with their closest friends but often keep silent about not knowing where to turn to.
Clients are offered a safe space here to ask all the questions. By the way, their team here includes medical professionals from well known Dr. Laura Sovran (Doctor of Medicine (M.D) and Obstetrics & Gynaecology from the University of Toronto) as well as Dr. Sinéad Dufour (Physiotherapist aka “The Pelvic Floor Guru” of Canada, Associate Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University, and a Professor and Researcher in both the Schools of Medicine and Rehabilitation Science). The goal here isn’t to just offer a treatment but also help to educate women about pelvic health and empower them to go back to what they enjoy whether it’s their favourite fitness workout or sex without worry.
Speaking to my friend who had gone through a full treatment (6 sessions) she confirmed that this was true. No longer was she concerned about dribbles when she laughs or worries about planning an outing with where the nearest public bathroom is in mind.
Craven boldly opened up this Toronto Kingsway location during the COVID pandemic and word is getting out (Urospot has other locations outside of Toronto and is expanding). They take in one client at a time at this location for now. Initial visit is a free consultation to assess if it’s the right treatment for the individual. Potential clients get to try the chair for five minutes so they know what to expect. She tells me that men also have been interested as research has shown it has helped with erectile disfunction, bladder leaks common after having prostate or bladder cancer. It is Prostate Cancer Month after all.
When I had visited the location two women who appeared to be in their 70s walked out happily with a “see you next week! and smiled at me. Craven tells me that they clients range from all walks of life and for many reasons. Some even drive in for four hours. She tells me that more locations are coming but she’s also cautious about finding the right people she can trust to work with. The need and demand is out there but for Craven, it’s about empowering women and helping others. Yes, it’s a business but it’s also important for her to trust that who works is focused on the education of women’s health backed by the medical community and scientific research. Urospot is very transparent and much of it can be found on their website.
I’ll be going though the full recommended six treatments in the next few weeks. But I asked about what to expect after that? She tells me that it’s really dependent on the individual’s needs. Clients can tell when they feel a need for a “tune up” and go in maybe once every six months or nothing more.
When I asked Craven what are the main reasons as to why people are coming for this treatment she said the common response is “freedom and confidence”.
Find out more at www.urospot.com
