Over the last 150 years, the treatment of mental illnesses has evolved to include medication, different types of therapy, and lifestyle changes like exercise. The use of electric currents to treat mental illness is even more recent.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive therapy that can help reset your brain. Although researchers aren’t entirely sure how it works, many patients have seen symptoms of mental illness lift after this treatment. Here are seven things you should know about TMS.
1. It’s Not Electroconvulsive Therapy
The use of electricity to rewire the brain dates back to the 1930s. Psychiatrists had discovered that inducing seizures with chemicals like Metrazol could sometimes improve mental illness. However, patients hated taking this chemical because it also induced feelings of fear.
In their quest for a replacement therapy, Italian psychiatrists started using an electric current to treat patients. Although most media representations of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are negative, the treatment has come a long way. However, TMS is a separate treatment from ECT.
2. It Stimulates Neurons
Thoughts and behaviors create neural pathways in your brain. The more often you do something, the more entrenched these pathways become. Brain scans have shown that people with depression or other mental illnesses don’t experience normal neural activity.
TMS works to stimulate neurons so that unused connections can grow stronger. This can help depression patients recover faster and stay better. In comparison to firing your neurons once, TMS can cause them to fire around 3,000 times per session. This therapy is like working out for your brain.
3. It Won’t Shock You
Although large doses of electricity can be deadly, the human body actually uses electricity for various functions, including pumping the heart. In rare cases, some people have come into contact with strong doses of electricity like lightning and survived. Most people’s experience with electricity involves being shocked by static electricity.
Although TMS does generate an electric current, it won’t shock you. During treatment, magnetic pulses will send short bursts of electricity through your brain. The only discomfort you may feel is short taps directly underneath the magnetic coil on your head. After a few sessions, most patients get used to this feeling.
4. It Has Few Side Effects
Many treatments for depression come with horrible side effects. For example, some depression medicines can increase a patient’s risk of suicide. Other side effects of medicine can include weight gain, insomnia, exhaustion, mood swings, and sexual problems.
In contrast to medication, TMS is non-invasive and doesn’t come with a long list of side effects. Some patients experience a mild headache and body aches after sessions. In rare cases, TMS may cause anxiety to increase. However, TMS typically has few side effects for patients.
5. It Takes a Commitment
Usually, TMS is administered over 20-30 sessions before treatment is considered complete. Patients go in for treatment five days a week for six to eight weeks or longer, depending on their diagnosis and results. Usually, treatment sessions take about 40 minutes.
It takes commitment to go to so many treatment sessions. Depending on their work schedule and available treatment times, some patients may need to take time off work to complete treatments. However, this investment is worth it because of the time it gives back through improved diagnosis.
6. It Has Many Applications
Studies on transcranial magnetic stimulation suggest that it could benefit patients with a wide range of health issues. Originally, TMS was approved by the FDA for major depressive disorder. Roughly 30-64% of patients experience improvement in their mental state following treatment.
TMS is also being used to reduce feelings of fear and anxiety for patients with PTSD. Researchers are now exploring ways that TMS can improve brain-related illnesses like schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke damage. Although more research is needed, early tests are promising.
7. It’s Not for Everyone
Although TMS may sound ideal, it’s not a good fit for everyone. For one thing, the treatment can cost thousands of dollars if it’s not covered by your insurance. Most insurance companies will only pay for TMS if you’ve tried multiple medications without success or are particularly sensitive to medicine.
Because TMS changes your brain chemistry by creating stronger neural connections, it can help to improve your mood for a long time. However, it’s not a miracle pill that will magically heal all symptoms. Some TMS patients have even reported an increase in anxiety and mental illness after this treatment.
Rebuilding Pathways
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a neurological treatment that reduces symptoms of depression in many people. This therapy is nonconvulsive and helps your brain rebuild neural pathways to improve mood. It doesn’t hurt and has very few side effects.
However, because TMS requires so many sessions, it takes a commitment. Preliminary studies suggest that TMS may be helpful to patients with a variety of neurological problems. However, it’s not a good fit for everyone. Future studies should improve our understanding of how this treatment could be used to treat other illnesses.