How Does TMS Treat Depression?

You’ve tried talk therapies and medications, but you’re still plagued by depression. It might be time to consider the next level of treatment.

Semper Healthcare Services provides high-quality, holistic, and integrative addiction and psychiatry treatment in Addison, Texas. Led by a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, Anne-Marie Odo, Semper Healthcare Services offers her patients the most advanced and comprehensive treatments for depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). 

TMS is a non-invasive, ground-breaking treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain. Dr. Odo has helped countless patients reclaim their mental health with TMS. She often recommends this treatment for those who’ve not responded to other depression therapies. 

Here’s what she wants you to know about TMS.

How TMS works

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a treatment that uses magnetic impulses to penetrate your skull and stimulate the nerves within. Dr. Odo places a paddle about the size of a large hand near your skull so it hovers over the part of your brain that controls emotions. Inside that paddle is a magnetic coil that can emit pulses of energy.

Because depression is caused by a lack of activity in this part of your brain, TMS wakes it up and prompts it to respond and become active again.  

How TMS feels

TMS is painless and noninvasive. Dr. Odo provides you with a protective cap (similar to a swimmer’s cap) to wear during the procedure, but the instrument hovers over or barely touches your head.

You may hear some mild clicking sounds as the magnetic impulses are triggered, but you don’t feel a thing. Some patients report a slight headache or mild scalp irritation after the session, but this typically subsides within about 15 minutes. 

After your TMS treatment (which lasts about 30 minutes), you’re free to go back to school or work. 

TMS effectiveness

Dr. Odo generally recommends a six-week commitment (with five sessions per week) to the TMS treatment before determining its effectiveness. But some patients report immediate improvement in their depression symptoms, and others find that with only a few treatments under their belts, they feel a measurable difference in their mood. 

Approximately 50% to 60% of people with depression who have not benefited from depression medications experience a clinically meaningful response with TMS. Approximately one-third of these individuals experience a complete remission, meaning their symptoms disappear completely. 

Depending on your response to TMS and other types of treatments, Dr. Odo may also suggest complementing your sessions with medications, lifestyle changes, or talk therapy. 

If you’ve been battling depression and are searching for hope, book a consultation with Dr. Odo at Semper Healthcare Services. Call the office at 469-746-3114 or request an appointment online.