Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
In our field of study, there have been ongoing efforts to determine safe and effective treatments for depression. Currently, there is no singular choice of depression treatment proven to work for everyone. Depression is often treated with antidepressant medications, which do not work for all those who try it. Colorado TMS Services and A New Outlook Recovery Services offer Neurostar transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy for adult patients who have not received the desired results from antidepressants, or who experienced unwanted side effects from this medication. TMS therapy is a non-drug, non-invasive treatment that can be performed in your doctor’s office in about 30 minutes.
How Does NeuroStar Advanced TMS Work?
TMS therapy uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate key areas of the brain that are underactive in people experiencing depression. This is not electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
The leading scientific theory behind the cause of depression is that it is due to an imbalance in the brain’s neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that send signals to brain cells. During a TMS treatment session, a magnet is used to stimulate nerve cells in areas of the brain believed to control mood. This therapy activates the natural function of the brain with a non-invasive magnetic field.
In-office treatment with Neurostar takes 19-37 minutes and is administered 5 days a week for approximately 7 weeks.
Neurostar TMS Therapy is FDA-cleared and proven to make long term remission from depression possible – which is why it is the #1 choice of doctors when deemed appropriate.
For people who have been medication resistive, NeuroStar is a safe and proven alternative treatment for depression without the side effects of medication. Over 5.3 million NeuroStar Advanced TMS treatments have been performed in over 147,400 patients.
What To Expect
During Your
36 Day Treatment
FAQs – Answers To Most TMS Common Questions (Click to expand answers)
Is TMS right for me?
Have depression symptoms interfered with my daily life?
Am I not satisfied with the results I get from depression medication?
Do I worry about the side effects of my depression medications? Have I switched medications for depression due to side effects?
Am I interested in a proven effective, non-drug therapy for depression?
If you answered ”yes” to two or more of these questions, Neurostar Advanced TMS Therapy might be right for you.
Is TMS covered by insurance?
NeuroStar is the #1 physician-recommended TMS Therapy for the treatment of mental health issues and depression. It’s a safe, effective treatment that is FDA-cleared and covered by most insurance companies for MDD and MDD with anxious depression. It usually takes time for healthcare insurers to establish coverage policies for newly approved treatments such as NeuroStar TMS. Most major insurances cover NeuroStar TMS, including Medicare plans nationwide. However, many commercial and Medicare plans have recognized the effectiveness of treating depression with TMS Therapy and now cover TMS as part of their plans, EXCEPT Colorado Medicaid.
Does TMS treatment hurt?
No, the most common side effect related to treatment was scalp discomfort during treatment sessions. This side effect was generally mild to moderate and occurred less frequently after the first week of treatment. If necessary, you can treat this discomfort with an over-the-counter analgesic. If these side effects persist, your doctor can temporarily reduce the strength of the magnetic field pulses being administered in order to make treatment more comfortable. Less than 5% of patients treated with NeuroStar TMS Therapy discontinued treatment due to side effects. Many patients experience side effects from their medication, increasing the chance that they will stop taking them. The most common side effects for NeuroStar TMS reported during clinical trials were headache and scalp discomfort —generally mild to moderate—occurring less frequently after the first week of treatment.
#1 Choice of Doctors
Precisely targeted NeuroStar Advanced Therapy makes long-term remission possible—which is why it’s the #1 choice of doctors.
Safe and FDA Cleared
Advanced NeuroStar TMS Therapy is safe and easy to tolerate. Because it is not a medication that circulates throughout the body.
No Medications
NeuroStar TMS Therapy is free from the side effects that patients often experience when they take antidepressant medications.
Try TMS – A Proven Alternative Treatment for Depression
The 9-question Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a diagnostic tool introduced in 2001 to screen adult patients in a primary care setting for the presence and severity of depression. It rates depression based on the self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The PHQ is part of Pfizer’s larger suite of trademarked products, called the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD). The PHQ-9 takes less than 3 minutes to complete and simply scores each of the 9 DSM-IV criteria for depression based on the mood module from the original PRIME-MD. Primary care providers frequently use the PHQ-9 to screen for depression in patients.
