We all experience emotional highs and lows, but depression symptoms go beyond typical feelings of sadness. It is a life-altering disease that requires medical intervention. Fortunately, there are treatments for depression, including medication and TMS, in certain cases.
Depression TMS
While more people are becoming aware of mental health issues, depression still comes with a stigma for many. This stigma towards psychiatric conditions often acts as a barrier to treatment; however, seeking medical help for depression is not any different than seeking help for a broken arm. There should be no shame in getting help for a medical condition.
When it comes to depression, you will not find a one-size-fits-all treatment method. Traditionally, antidepressant medications have been the starting point. Finding the proper medication can take time, but SSRIs and other medications are effective for some people. However, patients with treatment-resistant depression who do not respond to medications like SSRIs may have better results with TMS.
In a recent study of BrainsWay’s Deep TMS, participants showed a 60 percent remission rate for depression compared to an 11 percent rate of remission for those taking medication alone. In fact, the results are so effective that the FDA has cleared BrainsWay for treatment-resistant depression along with other psychiatric conditions.
How Does It Work?
Depression TMS is not an invasive treatment. It uses a magnetic field to help regulate neural activity in areas of the brain that are associated with the symptoms of depression. This safe and effective treatment does not use anesthesia, infusions, or require hours on end to complete. It has minimal side effects and does not have a recovery time as an in-office procedure. You can simply go about your day when you are finished.
How Do You Know if TMS will Work for You?
While many people do benefit from this treatment, the final decision should be made in collaboration with your doctor. If other methods of treatment for your depression have failed, reaching out to learn more about transcranial magnetic stimulation is a wise decision.
You and your doctor should collaborate to come up with an effective treatment plan that takes into account your medical history along with baseline lab work to ensure that any treatments remain in line with APA+ADA guidelines.
All TMS Treatments Are Not the Same
At Pasadena Neuropsychiatry, we are one of a handful of providers in the area implementing BrainsWay dTMS™ technology. This TMS system is cleared by the FDA to treat all of the following conditions:
- Treatment-Resistant Depression
- OCD
- Anxious Depression
- Smoking Cessation
Before considering any interventions, you want to make sure that your physician is implementing evidence-based treatment modalities. Standard, or rTMS, does not show the same efficacy in studies that BrainsWay does.
If you have any questions about transcranial magnetic stimulation, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to help you decide if it is a good fit for you and answer other questions, such as whether or not we accept your insurance. We also welcome you to discover how we have helped others with BrainsWay dTMS™ treatments.