TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. The FDA originally cleared this treatment technique in 2008. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have received TMS treatment. TMS relies on the basic principles of electricity and magnetism to treat a targeted area of the brain without breaking the skin or using anesthesia or sedation.
The space around the magnet used in TMS therapy is active, which means the magnet influences everything within the field. The combination of a magnet with an object that conducts electricity produces an electromagnetic field.
This is important because your cells use neurotransmitters to produce very small amounts of electricity. You can see this on an electrocardiogram that measures the electrical output in your heart. This also happens in the brain. Review the conditions treated by Minneapolis NeuroStar TMS therapy at Pinnacle Behavioral Healthcare to discover whether you are a candidate for treatment.
NeuroStar TMS therapy is FDA-cleared for people in Minneapolis with treatment-resistant depression, anxious depression, and as an adjunctive treatment modality for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Treatment-resistant depression is the diagnosis used when you have tried multiple antidepressant medications, and they have not successfully relieved your symptoms. Data shows that up to 66 percent of people do not get relief using antidepressant medications.
Clinical studies performed on NeuroStar TMS Therapy have been done on treatment-resistant depression, and those studies indicate that 82 percent of people who complete their NeuroStar TMS therapy treatment cycle experience measurable results, and 62 percent experience complete remission. This means that after the complete TMS treatment cycle, if a physician evaluated every person, 62 percent would not have any symptoms of major depressive disorder.
Because TMS has been such an effective and safe treatment, several research studies are now looking at how TMS therapy could help other brain-related conditions, including addictions, Alzheimer’s disease, eating disorders, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and complications from stroke.
During a treatment session, a padded magnetic coil is placed against your head, through which the electromagnetic pulses are delivered to targeted areas of your brain. It appears that these areas are less active in individuals with depression and depression-related anxiety.
Electromagnetic fields help to activate the neurological cells, stimulating new neural connections and improving symptoms of depression. NeuroStar TMS therapy is an important treatment option because it is non-invasive, does not require anesthesia or sedation, and does not intentionally cause seizure activity in the way that electroconvulsive therapy ECT does.
Additionally, NeuroStar TMS therapy does not have the side effects associated with ECT, which include confusion, memory loss, fatigue, and jaw pain. Anesthesia is required with ECT since it typically triggers seizure activity. Side effects are also associated with anesthesia, which can include heart rate and blood pressure increases.
Conversely, the side effects associated with NeuroStar TMS therapy when treating indicated conditions in Minneapolis are relatively minor. Since NeuroStar TMS therapy is non-invasive and does not require drugs or anesthesia, there is none of the associated risks of anesthesia.
NeuroStar TMS therapy addresses depression at the source of the issue, which is your brain. There are no systemic side effects that you typically see with antidepressant medications.
The most common side effects are feeling warming, tingling, or tapping over the area of your head where the coil is placed. These symptoms are temporary and typically are not present after the first week of treatment.
Other side effects can include eye pain, tooth pain, facial pain, and pain in the skin over the area where the magnetic coil is placed. In clinical trials, less than 5 percent of the people voluntarily discontinued the treatment because of these side effects.
While NeuroStar TMS therapy is safe and effective for most people, it is not the best option for all people. Because TMS therapy uses electromagnetic pulses, it is contraindicated in people who have metal implants, such as cochlear implants, pacemakers, bullet fragments, or feral magnetic tattoos.
Individuals in Minneapolis with a seizure disorder, head injury, or other neurological disease are also not good candidates, even if they have conditions that are typically treated with NeuroStar TMS therapy.
If you have treatment-resistant depression, anxious depression, or OCD there is hope. Call our office today to schedule a consultation to discuss the conditions treated by Minneapolis NeuroStar TMS therapy and see if this innovative and effective treatment is right for you.
