What Is TMS Therapy?

08 Mar What Is TMS Therapy?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS therapy, is a powerful form of treatment that can help people manage mental health disorders like depression and addiction. If you’re interested in learning how to improve the way your brain works, then a San Diego internal medicine doctor can help you with TMS therapy.

TMS therapy uses magnetic waves to alter the way that your neurons fire. By doing this, it can help to reduce long-term changes in the brain that help you manage conditions like depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental problems that may lead to addiction.

What Is TMS Therapy?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive treatment that is approved by the FDA. The treatment uses mild magnetic pulses to help stimulate the brain and produce a productive electric current.

The therapy ensures that this electric stimulation targets a specific area of the brain known as the left prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain that is most involved with conditions such as depression.

What Is a TMS Treatment Like?

TMS therapy is a non-invasive treatment and you will be awake and aware during the entire procedure.

First, your San Diego internal medicine will get you to sit in a comfortable chair. Your doctor will give you a cap to put on your head to prevent you from directly contacting the TMS machine, known as a coil.

The coil will be placed above your head but will not actually touch you. After deciding where the coil is going to be most effective, your doctor will work to figure out what strength of treatment you will need to receive.

This will largely be the purpose of your first TMS treatment. Your San Diego internal medicine doctor wants to ensure that you’re not receiving too much or too little of a magnetic pulse.

During the following treatments, you will be given an actual magnetic pulse. This part of the treatment will generally last about 37 minutes.

Each pulse will be produced by the machine every 20 seconds or so and it will make a small noise when it does so. While you’re receiving the treatment, you can do whatever it takes to make yourself comfortable. Some patients enjoy watching television whereas others spend their time reading. Some simply prefer to breathe or meditate while the machine is doing its work.

There are little to no after-effects of the treatment, and as such, you will be able to return to your daily life immediately after the treatment.

Are There Any Dangers Associated With TMS?

TMS is generally considered a safe treatment. Some patients report mild headaches following the treatment, however, these generally don’t last more than a week. If the headaches are serious, they can usually be managed by using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications.

In extremely rare cases, some patients report seizures. If you have a history of seizures, you should make sure to talk with your San Diego internal medicine doctor prior to receiving TMS treatment.

Conclusion

TMS therapy is a non-invasive treatment for helping people manage depression and other conditions that may contribute to addiction. But managing these conditions effectively will be able to overcome your addiction and improve the quality of your life.