Tesla Chair (Functional Magnetic Stimulation) Clinical Evidence
HCPC: PH80026 | ISSM: M.37761
Written by: Joshua Hearne-Wilkins, Urology Specialist & Independent Nurse Prescriber (NMC: 11l00400e)
Last clinically reviewed:
Published:
Next review due:
Clinical governance statement
All treatments undertaken by MansMatters (Shockwave Clinics Ltd) are subject to clinical review before they are introduced into practice and at regular intervals thereafter. This review considers the safety profile of each intervention, including contraindications and adverse effects as specified in the manufacturer’s instructions for use or the Summary of Product Characteristics; the regulatory status of each medical device and medicinal product; the position of current UK and European clinical guidance, including the European Association of Urology (EAU), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS); the qualifications and scope of practice of the treating clinicians; the stage and severity of the condition being treated; and the requirements for informed consent. Each patient is assessed individually, and treatment is offered only where it is clinically appropriate.
The basis of clinical evidence
Clinical evidence is derived from several sources, which carry different weight. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses pool the results of multiple studies and provide the highest level of evidence. Randomised controlled trials, including sham-controlled trials, compare a treatment against a control group under defined conditions. Prospective and retrospective cohort studies, published in peer-reviewed journals, describe outcomes in defined groups of patients over time, and the replication of results by independent research groups in different countries strengthens confidence in a finding. Laboratory and mechanistic studies explain how a treatment is thought to act. In-clinic observational studies and structured outcome audits record the results achieved in routine practice and contribute to the developing evidence base, particularly for newer and combined treatments. Long-term follow-up establishes the durability of results and the safety of a treatment over time.
The evidence relevant to this treatment is summarised below. All citations are hyperlinked to the original source.
Is it safe?
The Tesla Chair (Tesla Former) is manufactured in Slovenia by Iskra Medical and is a Class IIa medical device (Iskra Medical; TGA register entry); the manufacturer lists erectile dysfunction and sexual dysfunction among its uses. It uses functional magnetic stimulation: a pulsed magnetic field contracts the pelvic floor muscles while you sit fully clothed, with no skin contact. In the published studies in erectile dysfunction (around 300 men) and the larger incontinence literature, no serious adverse events have been reported; mild tingling or perineal discomfort during the session is the usual experience. It isn’t suitable if you have a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, metal implants in the pelvis, or active cancer; we also check for recent pelvic surgery and epilepsy.
What the evidence shows
The pelvic floor muscles are part of the erectile mechanism, and training them has randomised-trial evidence in erectile dysfunction. In a UK trial of 55 men, pelvic floor training raised erectile function scores by 6.74 points more than lifestyle advice, and overall, 40% of men regained normal erections and a further 34.5% improved (Dorey et al., Br J Gen Pract 2004). The Tesla Chair produces these contractions passively. In a study of 180 men treated with the Iskra TESLA Stym, erectile function scores rose substantially across arterial, venous and psychological causes (El-Fakahany et al., Basic Clin Androl 2025), and in 60 men about 95% reported improvement after 20 sessions (Abd El-Rahman et al., Minia J Med Res 2020).
Guidelines and regulation
The European Association of Urology describes pelvic floor muscle training as a promising alternative for erectile dysfunction, with further research continuing (EAU Guidelines 2025/2026). Treatment is given by registered clinicians in a clinic registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Independent research
Pelvic floor research in erectile dysfunction comes from independent teams in the UK, Belgium and France: in Belgium, 47% of 51 men regained normal erections (Van Kampen et al., Phys Ther 2003), and in France, pressure inside the penis rose in 99% of 122 men as the muscles strengthened (Lavoisier et al., Phys Ther 2014). A systematic review found that every trial of pelvic floor training in erectile dysfunction showed improvement (Myers and Smith, Physiotherapy 2019). Magnetic stimulation chairs have been studied in Egypt and Italy (Mondaini et al., Arch Ital Urol Androl 2025), and research is continuing.
How the Tesla Chair compares
Voluntary pelvic floor exercise is the established approach; the chair’s advantage is intensity, consistency and ease, particularly for men who cannot isolate or sustain the contractions. Focused shockwave acts on the blood vessels and the chair acts on the muscles, which is why the chair sits within our Advanced and Ultimate programmes alongside shockwave rather than replacing it.
How the Tesla Chair is thought to work
A coil beneath the seat generates a rapidly changing magnetic field that stimulates the pelvic floor nerves and muscles, producing strong, repeated contractions. Over a course, this strengthens the ischiocavernosus muscle, which compresses the base of the penis, and the bulbospongiosus muscle, which compresses the veins that let blood escape, so that erections are firmer and better maintained.
Long-term results and our experience
The chair studies followed men for up to three months. In the pelvic floor literature, benefit depends on continued practice, so we advise occasional maintenance sessions or a home exercise programme after a course, and we record outcomes for every patient.
Who is most likely to benefit
Men with pelvic floor weakness identified at assessment; men with erectile dysfunction and urinary symptoms, including after prostate surgery; men with venous-leak or psychological erectile dysfunction, where pelvic floor approaches have shown the best results; and men who find voluntary pelvic floor exercise difficult. It is not suitable for men with the conditions listed under "Is it safe?".
Before your treatment
Your clinician will assess your pelvic floor function, urinary symptoms and the likely cause of your erectile dysfunction and check for implants. You will be asked to give your consent before treatment begins. Sessions last 20 to 30 minutes, fully clothed; a course is usually six to ten sessions, and we teach a home pelvic floor programme alongside.
Further clinical trials and reviews
The following peer-reviewed trials and reviews are also relevant. Each is linked to the original source.