4 Benefits of TMS Therapy

Since the 1950s, antidepressants have been the frontline treatment for many mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While effective, this approach doesn’t work for everyone, which is why we’re so pleased to have alternatives like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy.

Dr. Sanjoy Sathpathy and the team at So Cal Psychiatric Care understand that the brain can be a tricky area to treat, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for improving mental health. That is why we offer a wide range of treatments, from medications to TMS therapy.

Here, we take a look at four of the many benefits of TMS therapy.

1) When medications don’t work

Maybe you’ve tried medications to address your mental health with few results. You’re not alone. Up to 30% of people who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors — the primary antidepressants — are resistant to these medications.

With TMS, we approach your brain differently. Instead of trying to influence the chemicals, we deliver mild electromagnetic impulses into certain areas of your brain to stimulate nerve cells and create new neural pathways that promote better mood regulation.

The success of TMS therapy in addressing treatment-resistant depression was so successful during clinical trials that the FDA approved the treatment in 2008.

2) Beyond depression

While TMS therapy helps people with treatment-resistant depression, it also works for people with other mental health issues, such as:

• OCD
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Anxiety

TMS is also used to help people rehabilitate from traumatic brain injuries and strokes.

3) TMS works quickly

Often, it takes people months to find the right combination of medications to realize improvements in their mental health. Not to mention, there's a fair amount of trial and error during which we tweak the medications and dosages.

TMS therapy usually works far more quickly. Most of our patients receive about five TMS treatments each week for 4-6 weeks. This intensive treatment plan works quickly to improve the communication between the neurons in your brain for more rapid improvement.

4) Avoiding side effects of medications

Even if medications, like antidepressants, work well, you may not be so keen on the side effects, which can include:

• Sleep issues
• Loss of libido
• Changes in weight
• Loss of energy
• Gastrointestinal issues

With TMS therapy, we avoid all of these complications. Some people can develop a headache after a TMS treatment, but it is usually short-lived. Not to mention, you’re only undergoing TMS therapy for 4-6 weeks, as opposed to long-term medications.

If you want to explore the benefits of TMS, we invite you to call our office in San Diego, California, at 858-923-5226 or book an appointment online today to learn more.