FAQ

While seated comfortably in a chair, a helmet containing a coil is placed on the patient’s head.  Short, repetitive electromagnetic pulses are then delivered to the brain, resulting in a balancing out or resetting of the neurotransmitters that have been inactive, causing the depressive symptoms.

For some patients there are mild discomforts, such as headache, toothache, or scalp irritation, which diminishes after the treatment.

There are distinct criteria for diagnosing depression, listed on the Depression tab on this site.  After reviewing those symptoms, if you have concerns about possibly having depression, contact your physician to discuss a treatment plan.

Antidepressants have been found to be effective in symptom relief in only about 50% of patients diagnosed with depression.  Because these drugs are systemic—ingested and processed in the body—there are several unpleasant side effects that may accompany these medications, including weight gain, insomnia, irritability, digestive problems, sexual dysfunction, and headache.  TMS directly treats the region in the brain associated with mood control, making it an efficient and safe treatment option.

Patients may continue to take their prescribed antidepressants during TMS treatment, unless their side effects from the drugs are inhibitive.  After the TMS treatment regimen is complete, patients can meet with their physician or one of the doctors at Achieve TMS to decide whether or not to continue taking medication.

TMS is most beneficial for those individuals who have tried antidepressant medications but were unsuccessful in achieving relief from depression symptoms.  TMS also benefits those who experienced unpleasant side effects from those medications.

Treatment sessions last anywhere from 20-40 minutes and are prescribed five days a week for 4-6 weeks for optimal results.

It is common for anxiety to be treated along with depression, and TMS is also approved to treat migraines.  In Europe, TMS has been CE approved to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, adult autism, chronic pain, smoking cessation, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Both ECT and TMS have been successful in treating depression.  However, ECT requires sedation and the electroshocks can cause memory loss and confusion, where TMS uses no sedation and safe, noninvasive magnetic pulses.

Insurance companies have been coming on board with TMS recently, after the data has begun to demonstrate its efficacy.  There are criteria that must be met to meet the threshold for insurance coverage, and our staff is happy to check your insurance eligibility for you.