Treatment resistant depression is a debilitating condition that can severely impact the quality of life for the people who experience it. This common psychiatric condition affects a staggering number of people in Oregon, with up to 10% of the population experiencing clinical depression in their lifetimes.
Unfortunately, traditional treatments for depression – like SSRIs and ECT – are rife with side effects that most patients find unpleasant at best. While many patients do not experience side effects from SSRIs, many do. When these treatments not only cause unpleasant side effects but also are not effective in addressing the condition, patients are often left searching for alternative solutions.
It’s at this juncture that many patients turn to TMS, short for Transcranial Magnetic Therapy.
TMS or transcranial magnetic therapy is a recent FDA approved treatment for depression that offers improvements up to 4 times more effective than a placebo.
There’s more good news, too: TMS is generally very well tolerated by patients and typically does not produce a large number of unpleasant side effects, making it a great choice for patients with treatment resistant depression.
What is TMS – Transcranial Magnetic Therapy? How does it work for Major Depressive Disorder, aka Depression?
TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain associated with mood regulation and depression symptoms. Although research is ongoing into the exact mechanism for TMS’s influence on mood, a popular theory states that TMS increases activity in the brain in areas that see decreased activity for people with treatment resistant depression.
TMS is administered in repeated visits to the clinic, where a specially trained technician applies magnetic coils directly to your scalp. You’ll hear a tapping sound as the magnetic field excites the prefrontal cortex. Your first appointment is typically called your “induction” appointment. At this appointment, your technician will do a brain mapping to determine where to place the coil and you will be tested for your motor threshold, which will determine the strength of the magnetic field needed for future appointments.
What are some of the benefits for TMS for treating Major Depressive Disorder?
There are many benefits for patients choosing to undergo TMS therapy. They include:
- Medicine-free relief from depression
- No needles or other invasive procedures
- No need to take off from work – you can drive immediately before and after your treatments
- All treatments are supervised with a Medical Doctor on site
- All treatments are pain-free and do not require any sedation or anesthetics
- The treatments are approved by the FDA for Major Depressive Disorder
- Treatment is covered by most major insurance carriers as long as certain criteria are met
How long do the effects of TMS treatment for depression last?
The answer is: it’s different for everyone. Of those that respond to treatment, over one third will experience complete remission of their symptoms. For others, symptoms may reoccur after initial success.
What’s better for depression: SSRIs and anti-depressants or TMS?
The best person to help you explore this question is, of course, your medical provider. The answer to this question will be different for each individual and depend on a number of factors that are highly specific to each person’s medical profile.
How do we know that TMS is not just a sham therapy that capitalized on the placebo effect?
The placebo effect – where patients respond positively to any treatment, even when that treatment is not evidence-based – is a well documented phenomenon. Many sham therapies in the past that appear to be effective were actually effective because of the placebo effect.
TMS therapy generates positive outcomes that are much higher than those attributable to the placebo effect. In one randomized study, TMS therapy outperformed sham therapies by a factor of 4 – meaning that patients who underwent TMS therapy experienced symptom relief four times higher than those patients who underwent sham therapies that rely on the placebo effect.
How quickly does TMS therapy work for depression?
Symptom relief from Major Depression is not instant with TMS. Many patients begin to feel better in one or two weeks. Most will see symptom improvement by the four week marker. Some patients will not see any symptom improvement until the entire course of treatment is complete. Typically patients undergo sessions for four to six weeks.
Get in touch and get your questions about TMS for Major Depression answered at our Portland office
Portlanders gravitate to our programs because we offer a warm, family-style environment with knowledgeable clinicians in a comfortable setting.
We tailor our patient-centered TMS treatment plans around your preferences and goals.
In addition to TMS – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation – and Ketamine therapy, we also offer psychiatric services for Pediatric and Adolescent patients, as well.
Call Shanti TMS today to get your questions answered or to make an appointment: 503-946-1227.