Is Tms Therapy More Effective Than Other Treatments?

By Author: Jason Pace
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According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. While anti-depressants and psychotherapy are the first-line approaches for treating depression, it doesn’t work for everyone and necessarily has to. In fact, about two-thirds of patients with depression don’t get relief from antidepressants. Even after two several months on antidepressants, patients report that they experience some symptoms.

So, what can people do when anti-depressants and psychotherapy don’t help them? Well, for decades, electroconvulsive therapy was the best treatment for treating depression. However, not everyone can cope-up with the ECT or shock therapy due to post-ECT effects. For those individuals who haven’t responded to medications and therapy, tms therapy (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is the life saviour.

What is Tms Therapy?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive treatment that stimulates nerve cells in the brain responsible for mood. TMS device operates outside of the body and affects central nervous system activity by sending power magnetic ...
... fields to specific brain areas. That said, TMS doesn’t require anaesthesia, and it’s a painless procedure.

How Does TMS Work?

While the exact cause of depression is unknown, research shows that people with depression have low activity in the areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. It’s believed that TMS helps stimulate the nerve cells in brain that’s’ responsible for mood regulation, effectively resetting the brain and reducing the symptoms of depression.

This type of treatment involves placing a small electromagnetic coil onto the patients’ head. Through the coils, the magnetic pulses are delivered to the specific area in the brain to stimulate the nerve cells. These magnetic waves are the same type and strength as those with MRI, and they’re completely safe, non-invasive, and painless.

Is Tms Effective Than Antidepressants?

Yes, research shows that tms treatment is effective than other treatments, especially when a patient has tried more than two types of antidepressants. In fact, tms is proven to help patients with treatment-resistant depression find greater relief. About 50% of people with depression who have tried and failed to respond to medications and psychotherapy have experienced a clinically meaningful response from TMS. Many people have experienced a full remission, and their symptoms have gone away completely. It’s important to acknowledge the results. Unlike antidepressants and psychotherapy, TMS patients feel better for many months, even after treatment is stopped.

Some patients experience positive response within a few TMS sessions. For further queries on TMS therapy, please call our clinic. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Depression is common. More than 264 million people of all ages around the world suffer from depression.