Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is one of the newer and lesser-known treatments available for depression. Although it became available in 1985 in Great Britain and the United States, the FDA finally cleared TMS equipment for use in 2008.
TMS therapy is different from medication or talk therapy as it aims to stimulate and reawaken synapses (nerve connections) in areas of the brain known to affect mood.
It is always important to evaluate your options when deciding on treatment for your depression. Contact our team today to learn more about Fort Washington NeuroStar TMS Therapy vs. other treatments.
TMS therapies involve using magnetic pulses to create tiny electrical currents in specific parts of your brain. We target these areas because they are known to control mood. TMS therapy can be used to treat depression, anxious depression, and OCD.
Unlike other treatments in Fort Washington, NeuroStar Advanced TMS Therapy requires no medications or anesthesia. Treatment sessions last 19 minutes and are conducted daily for seven weeks.
Because TMS only affects a small area of your brain, side effects are minimal, with many improving and disappearing as your treatment cycle continues. You can return to work immediately after a treatment session. Similarly, TMS does not affect your memory or cause confusion.
ECT is known as a treatment for very severe depression that has been unresponsive to other treatments, such as medications. It requires anesthesia to keep you comfortable because an electrical current is passed through your brain to cause a controlled seizure.
This seizure will not only affect your entire brain but also your body. It aims to reset mood areas and ease your depression. However, it may take more than one treatment session.
Most patients who receive ECT must take time off work and require a caretaker while receiving treatments. Immediately after a session, patients are routinely drowsy, confused, and cannot concentrate well, so they need help until these problems pass. ECT can cause memory loss that usually returns, but there is no guarantee.
Some clinicians in Fort Washington feel that ECT works faster or is more effective than TMS, but this is always patient-specific. The advantages of significantly fewer side effects with TMS can override the interest in speed.
Medication is typically the first treatment recommended for treating depression. Medications can help improve mood in depressed patients, but it can take up to two months before you start to feel the changes. Side effects can be a significant problem that limits a drug’s use.
TMS was first used for people who had failed at least two to three antidepressant medications, and it worked for 83% of patients. For 62% of patients, remission occurred, which lasted for a significant amount of time. TMS can be combined with medications, as neither will affect the other’s ability to work, and the combination may be perfect for you.
Another first-line therapy, especially for anxious depression, is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that helps patients learn to respond in better ways to their symptoms. How well CBT works is partially reliant on your motivation.
Talk therapy does not change how your body functions; it only alters your responses to it. TMS strives to change how well your brain cells communicate and function to make you feel better.
No treatment works one hundred percent of the time for every patient. When one type of therapy does not work well for you, you need to modify your approach.
Scott A. Fleischer, MD, PC & Associates, offers TMS therapy for patients in Fort Washington. Our mental health practitioners offer all types of therapy so that you will be able to find the care you need.
Dr. Fleischer is accessible if you have questions or concerns as you progress through your treatment. Call today to learn more about NeuroStar TMS Therapy vs. other treatments in Fort Washington.
