As of 2021, Major Depressive Disorder is one of the most common mental health issues as stated by the National Health Institute. About eight percent of all U.S. adults have had at least one depressive episode in the last year. Women are more susceptible to depression than men.
TMS Therapy
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS, is a new treatment for people who have treatment-resistant depression. Using a BrainsWay helmet, TMS therapy will produce magnetic pulses that will increase prefrontal cortex activity. This helps to alleviate depression at its source.
There are many clinics that can provide this service for you, but you need to be careful who you choose. One clinic that you can trust is Sollus Health TMS Therapy who has many years of experience. They can give you the therapy that you need.
This article will help you to learn some of the benefits of TMS therapy. It will help you to learn more about the therapy itself. You can also do more research to find the information you are seeking.
Benefits of TMS Therapy
1. Fewer Side Effects:
Medications for depression can have many side effects that you need to watch out for. Some of these effects can be nausea, fatigue, appetite changes, GI issues, insomnia, and more. TMS takes away these side effects and only affects your brain.
2. Doesn’t Interfere with Work or Driving:
A TMS session lasts only twenty minutes and does not affect your ability to drive or work afterwards. There are other therapies that can affect both of these such as Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, or ketamine therapy. With TMS, you can be back to your normal activities immediately after your session.
3. It is Approved by the FDA:
Research on TMS has shown that the effectiveness of this therapy outweighs any side effects that might occur. The first FDA approved machine was made in 2008, and many have been used since then. It is a non-invasive procedure that does not involve surgery or anesthesia.
4. Low Risk of Serious Side Effects
There is one main serious side effect of this therapy and that is seizures, although this risk is only about one percent: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X21001182. If the clinic follows the strict guidelines, it will minimize any chances of adverse reactions to it. There will be a plan that is created when patients might have a higher risk to these effects.
5. It Can Offer Improvement
According to a study done in 2023, nearly sixty percent of patients experienced remission, while about seventy-five percent noticed improvement in their symptoms. It takes about sixteen sessions for someone to see some improvement. The success is because of the magnetic fields that are focused on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for controlling your mood.
6. You May No Longer Need Medication After Treatment
It is safe to take your anti-depressants during this therapy, but many have found that they don’t need it after treatment. There is a study that shows SSRI medications have a remission rate of around twenty percent. See more here. TMS has shown a forty percent rate of remission according to clinical trials.
7. TMS Doctors are Top in Their Fields
Doctors that provide TMS are among the tops in their fields. They usually focus on things such as brain stimulation and neuromodulation. Many others have had extensive experience in providing TMS.
8. No Recovery Time and It’s Not Painful
There may be some feelings of being uncomfortable, but this is usually during initial treatments. After the first couple of weeks, there is little to no pain associated with it. Only about four and a half percent of people will end their treatment due to pain according to a study.
9. They Last Less Time Than a Lunch Break
You can take this treatment during your lunch break since it only takes twenty minutes for it. You need to have consistent sessions to make sure that it works as it should. These short sessions will allow you to get the treatment that you need without disrupting your normal routine too much.
10. Clinics are Designed for Healing
Most clinics are to be comforting, welcoming, and a place to focus on healing. Treatment rooms usually have privacy and comfort in natural lighting. You will be provided with items that will help to take your mind off the treatment that you are receiving such as a tablet and headphones.
Conclusion
TMS therapy has been successful in treating depression since around 2008 when the first therapy was approved by the FDA. It can reduce depression by a large percentage and can even remove all depression symptoms. This is a quick treatment that only takes about twenty minutes per session.
Many people can go off depression meds that can cause all types of side effects that TMS does not have. The only side effect that this therapy has are seizures in less than one percent of people. This can be an effective treatment for anyone suffering from depression.
Also read: The Severe Impacts of Depression: Recognizing Symptoms and Seeking Help
