What Is TMS Therapy? Your Complete Guide
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is an effective alternative to traditional forms of treatment.
Anyone who has battled major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety, or other mental disorders knows how difficult these treatable conditions can be. They impact every part of your life, making the most basic daily tasks into big challenges. into major challenges.
Unfortunately, seeking treatment for a mental health disorder can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Additionally, traditional forms of treatment, like medication, sometimes don’t work for everyone, causing difficult side effects that can leave you feeling worse than you did before.
Although this situation seems hopeless, it isn’t.
Cleared in 2008 by the FDA for treating MDD, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment that does not require anesthesia and has minimal side effects. Using an electromagnetic coil strategically placed on the scalp, TMS creates repetitive magnetic pulses that are targeted to areas of the brain that help us manage our emotions, resulting in improved concentration, sleep quality, and overall mood. resulting in improved concentration, sleep quality, and overall mood.
Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry proudly offers TMS therapy at our locations in California and Texas. Reach out today for a FREE consultation.
How Does TMS Therapy Work?
During a TMS therapy session, an electromagnetic coil will be carefully placed against your scalp. The exact spot can vary, which is why your first TMS session involves something called brain mapping. Brain mapping is a process where the coil is placed on different areas of your scalp in order to find the ideal treatment location for your TMS therapy sessions. It also helps determine how strong and how many electromagnetic pulses you need.
Next, the electromagnetic coil will generate repetitive pulses – some people say it feels like someone is lightly tapping their scalp. These pulses stimulate nerves in areas of your brain that are involved in mood regulation.
PHQ-9 Depression Screening
Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry offers an online version of the commonly used Depression Screening tool called the PHQ-9. The nine items of the PHQ-9 are based directly on the nine diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder in the DSM-IV.
Depression and other mental health disorders are much more than bad moods – they’re diseases that change how your brain operates. According to Yale Medicine, stress, anxiety, and other conditions cause connections between your brain cells to break apart. This causes messaging in your brain to become muddled, leading to symptoms of depression.
The biological reasons TMS appears to work aren’t fully understood yet. However, the repetitive pulses of TMS seem to stimulate brain cells affected by depression and other mental health disorders, helping re-establish connections and ease the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and more.
What Does TMS Therapy Treat?
Although initially developed to treat depression, TMS is now used to treat a wide variety of conditions:
- Anxiety: TMS therapy can help alleviate the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder, and more.
- Depression: Depression and other mood disorders respond to TMS therapy.
- Migraine: Interestingly, TMS therapy shows potential in treating the symptoms of migraine.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): TMS therapy can make OCD symptoms easier to manage.
- Postpartum Depression: This form of depression that affects new mothers can be treated with TMS therapy.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often something survivors of trauma struggle with for a lifetime. TMS therapy shows promise in treating its symptoms.
- Tinnitus: Tinnitus is a chronic hearing disorder caused by exposure to very loud sounds. Studies have shown that TMS therapy can make the symptoms easier to live with.
Does TMS Therapy Hurt?
No. TMS therapy does have some physical sensations, however. As we mentioned earlier, some people describe TMS as feeling like a light tapping on their scalp; others report feeling a repetitive tingling or like their muscles are twitching.
Also, some people report lingering scalp discomfort or mild headaches after their TMS therapy session. But these symptoms diminish as treatment progresses. Also, you’re welcome to tell your TMS clinician if you’re uncomfortable.
Is TMS Electroshock Therapy?
No, and the procedures couldn’t be more different. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the name for what used to be called shock therapy, and it’s a serious medical procedure. ECT causes a person to experience a brief seizure and is only used in severe cases of treatment-resistant depression and other mental disorders. Also, ECT is never given without anesthesia.
TMS therapy, on the other hand, is always done on an outpatient level. There’s no need for anesthesia, and you’ll be able to resume your usual activities after your session.
How Long Does TMS Therapy Last?
The length of time TMS therapy takes depends on the individual. In general, the therapeutic process takes 3-6 weeks, with 40-minute sessions five days per week. The patient is fully alert during the TMS therapy procedure and can easily return to normal daily activities following the sessions.
What are the Benefits of TMS Therapy?
TMS therapy has several benefits:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TMS Therapy?
TMS therapy uses electromagnetic pulses to help treat the symptoms of depression, anxiety and more.
Does TMS Therapy Work?
Yes, studies have shown that TMS can reduce the symptoms of mental disorders like anxiety and depression.
Is TMS Shock Therapy?
No. TMS therapy is very, very different from shock therapy, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Does TMS Therapy Hurt?
Some people can find initial TMS therapy sessions a little uncomfortable, but the sensations fade with time.
Does Insurance Cover TMS Therapy?
Anew Era accepts most major insurance carriers, and we’ll help you explore every option you have.
