Do NeuroStar treatments hurt? The short answer to that question is: it depends. While that might not be the answer you’re looking for, it’s a realistic answer based on treating hundreds of individuals with NeuroStar Advanced TMS therapy at Pinnacle Behavioral Healthcare in Minnesota.
Whether a NeuroStar treatment causes you discomfort depends on a variety of factors that are not usually identifiable until your first appointment. However, the answer to that question also depends on how you define the word “hurt.”
For most people, the sensations they feel during the treatment are not significant enough to meet the threshold of being hurt. Let’s talk a little more about what you experience during a NeuroStar treatment, why you experience it, and a little bit about who the best candidates are.
For the vast majority of people, the sensations you experience during or after your NeuroStar TMS therapy session are not present after the first week of treatment. In case you didn’t know, NeuroStar TMS treatment cycles generally last seven weeks, during which you receive five treatment sessions per week that typically last about 20 minutes.
Some people experience a tapping, warmth, or tingling over the area where the magnetic coil is placed. Others report some discomfort in their skin and fewer people have reported pain on their skin, headache, or tooth pain.
These symptoms are generally limited and resolve spontaneously. The majority of people who experience these symptoms find they disappear after the first week of treatment. Treatment with NeuroStar does not use anesthesia or sedation, so immediately after the procedure is finished, you can go about your daily activities.
The exact neurochemical and biological pathways affected by TMS therapy have not yet been fully identified. TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It’s a procedure in which electromagnetic pulses are directed at targeted areas in the brain responsible for mood disorders.
Imaging studies have shown that people with depression, anxious depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have lower neural activity in certain areas of the brain. The NeuroStar TMS treatment with electromagnetic pulses appears to improve activity in those areas and create better neural connections.
This means that the procedure addresses the source of the condition, which is unlike antidepressant medications that can cause a variety of systemic side effects. These can include headaches, fatigue, loss of interest, sexual dysfunction, and an increased risk of suicide.
NeuroStar TMS has been clinically tested on individuals who have treatment-resistant depression. This means that you have tried more than one antidepressant medication and have not received significant relief from your symptoms.
In this population, NeuroStar TMS has demonstrated significant improvement. In clinical studies, 83 percent of people who complete their NeuroStar TMS treatment cycle experience measurable improvements, and 62 percent have seen complete remission. Remission means that if you were evaluated by a physician after completing your NeuroStar TMS treatment cycle, you would not be diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD).
In another study that did not involve NeuroStar TMS, patients who had not gotten relief after receiving three or more antidepressants experienced a 7 percent chance of reaching remission on any further medications. When you haven’t experienced relief from antidepressants, NeuroStar TMS has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of depression.
Although the treatment has proven to be safe and effective in a wide variety of people, it is not the best option for everyone. People with certain medical conditions should not receive NeuroStar TMS treatment. The treatment sessions use electromagnetic pulses, which means that anyone with a metal device around the head or neck should not undergo treatment. This can include cochlear implants, pacemakers, bullet fragments, or tattoos using ferromagnetic ink.
NeuroStar TMS therapy does not intentionally produce seizure activity in the way that shock therapy or electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) does. However, there is a rare potential for a seizure that does not cause cognitive impairment in 0.1 percent of people. For this reason, people with known seizure disorders, head injuries, or other neurological conditions should also not receive NeuroStar TMS therapy.
The potential for reducing or eliminating symptoms of depression and depression-related anxiety is significant with NeuroStar TMS therapy. We encourage you to call our office today and schedule a consultation to more fully understand how NeuroStar TMS treatments might help your condition.
