**4.2 Advantages and disadvantages of magnetic stimulation therapy**

There are three major advantages of magnetic stimulation therapy compared to electrical stimulation therapy. One is the depth of stimulation. Magnetic stimulation therapy can stimulate nerves deeper than electrical stimulation. Currently, in Japan, a chair-type stimulator that magnetically stimulates the area around the anus is used. Such stimulation of deep nerves is difficult to reproduce with electrical stimulation therapy.

The second is that it can be done non-invasively. Since the magnetic stimulation penetrates clothes, skin, bones, etc., it can be performed while wearing clothes without inserting an anus or vaginal electrodes. Therefore, this treatment method is more comfortable and less embarrassing. Furthermore, the targets to be stimulated are the sacral nerve and the pelvic floor, but treatment can be performed without pain often observed in electrical stimulation.

The third is safety. Magnetic stimulation therapy is considered to be an extremely safe and side-effect-free treatment. In a multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial, magnetic stimulation therapy did not show any adverse events compared to the placebo group [3]. This data suggests that magnetic stimulation is safer than electrical stimulation associated with side effects such as abdominal pain and diarrhea [4].

However, there are two major disadvantages. One is the need to go to the hospital. Magnetic therapy does not end with just one treatment, and requires about 8–16 visits in 1 to 2 months. Depending on access to the hospital and the patient's health condition, this might be challenging. The second disadvantage is that this can be a difficult intervention in certain patients. For example, in patients with a pacemaker,


#### **Table 1.**

*Pros and cons of magnetic stimulation therapy.*

magnetic therapy can cause malfunctions, and in patients with tattoos, the likelihood of burns increases (**Table 1**).
