TMS

What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technology is similar to an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine, using pulsed magnetic fields to stimulate areas in your brain that are responsible for regulating mood. TMS reprograms your brain with repetitive pulses that continue to work long after your treatment is complete.

How does TMS therapy work?

When you undergo TMS, you visit Americas TMS Center five days a week for around six weeks. Each session lasts for about 20 minutes, and you can carry on with your day as usual after the session, including driving and going back to work or school.

All you need to do is lay back and relax in the treatment chair while your provider applies the repeated magnetic pulses. These pulses target the area of your brain where, for example, depression typically develops following a decrease in activity that causes a chemical imbalance. TMS activates nerve cells in these areas to bring you relief from the distressing and disabling effects of your condition.

Is TMS Like ECT?

TMS has few similarities to ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). While ECT does trigger underactive areas of your brain as TMS does, you need to have anesthesia to undergo ECT, and the treatment can have serious side effects, including memory loss and personality changes.

TMS therapy, in contrast, is entirely noninvasive, requires no downtime, and there’s minimal risk of side effects. All you might feel during or after TMS treatment is a mild headache that usually fades away before too long.

What conditions can TMS treat?

TMS has FDA approval for treating depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It’s also showing great promise in clinical trials and gets positive feedback from patients as a treatment for a wide range of other mental health conditions. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) uses TMS to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it could also help with chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

TMS treatment is a highly effective option for people who have clinical depression. It’s particularly useful for people who have treatment-resistant depression when initial therapies such as medication and psychotherapy aren’t helping. Current research shows that around one-third of patients who undergo TMS therapy for depression recover fully from their condition.

TMS quite literally changes lives and could give you hope even when you’ve exhausted all other available treatment options. Find out more about TMS and how it could help you by calling Americas TMS Center today or book an appointment using the online tool.