Understanding the Benefits of TMS

The symptoms of depression — including low mood, reduced energy levels, and, often, issues with eating and sleeping — act to drag you down. Escaping the negative cycle of depression can be difficult to achieve. But, living with depression is just as difficult, if not more so.

At Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, our team of mental health experts understands how challenging — and frustrating — living with depression really is. That’s why Dr. Ronald P. Winfield seeks to support our patients from around the North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, area with a variety of treatment approaches, including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

Could this be the treatment alternative you’ve been looking for? Here’s what we want you to know about the benefits of TMS therapy for depression.

A non-pharmacological depression treatment alternative

For some individuals, antidepressant medication makes a big difference in the severity of depression symptoms. However, not everyone can tolerate medication management. You may experience unwanted side effects that take this solution for your depression off the table.

One major upside of TMS treatment is that it lets you manage depression at the level of your brain without pharmacological intervention. If antidepressant medications aren’t right for you, TMS treatment can offer you symptom relief, improving your quality of life.

TMS uses pulses of magnetic energy passing through your skill to stimulate your brain. Your treatment focuses on the areas of the brain that control mood regulation. Studies show that the gentle, repeated stimulation of your brain increases the release of neurotransmitters, as well as blood flow to the treatment area.

Effective depression treatment results

You may be able to find total relief from depression through strategies like talk therapy or medication management, with these treatments alone reducing your symptoms to manageable or nonexistent levels. But, for some people, these approaches don’t do enough to lift the weight of depression symptoms.

TMS is FDA-approved as a treatment for Major Depressive Disorder. This type of therapy provides long-term relief to many depression patients, and is highly effective at improving energy, mood, concentration, and sense of personal purpose.

Fully half of TMS patients even achieve remission from depression symptoms after undergoing TMS. Results with TMS often last a full year, and can improve your mental health for even longer.

Safe outpatient therapy without side effects

TMS treatment is safe and noninvasive. Your therapy doesn’t require sedation or anesthesia, and has minimal, if any, side effects. Some patients report headaches or scalp discomfort that can be addressed through simple adjustments to the strength of TMS pulses. It’s necessary to abstain from alcohol and discontinue using the medication Wellbutrin, during treatment.

At Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, we provide TMS treatment on an outpatient basis. Your treatment session only takes half an hour, and you can plan on driving yourself home afterwards. TMS treatment takes 12 weeks to complete, with a total of 36 sessions.

During TMS treatment, we place a stimulating coil on your head, specially measured for you and your unique proportions. You rest in a comfortable reclining chair while your provider activates the coils with the CloudTMS hand-held device.

You may feel a pulsing sensation near where the stimulator coil rests on your head. This is often more intense in the first sessions of your treatment. We provide optional earplugs, if you’re bothered by the noise produced by the TMS machine.

To find out how you could benefit from TMS, contact the Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates team. Schedule a consultation online or over the phone today.