Tap into a new possibility for depression, a non drug alternative that works.
If you’re suffering from depression and you’re not getting any relief from your symptoms with antidepressants, you should consider transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The experienced mental health team at Aloha Integrative Health, with an office in San Diego, California, offers some of the most advanced techniques to help treat depression, including Neurostar TMS. Call us at (619) 333-3515 or request an appointment online to learn more about Neurostar TMS and how it can benefit you.
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What is TMS?
TMS is a ground-breaking alternative treatment for depression that doesn’t respond well to traditional therapies. While researchers aren’t sure of the exact cause of depression, it’s scientifically theorized that mood changes occur when there is a decrease in activity in the brain’s neural network that controls mood and motivation.
To address the symptoms of depression, TMS uses magnetic pulses that induce brief activity in the brain cells, causing the neurons to fire and release the neurotransmitters that often don’t work well in people with depression.
How Does NeuroStar TMS Therapy Work for People with Depression?
Commonly Asked Questions
- Q) What is NeuroStar?
- NeuroStar is the pioneer of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), creating the space in 2004. Alongside being the TMS market leader in the United States, NeuroStar TMS has been rated the most patient-tolerable and efficacious TMS device by patients and providers alike. NeuroStar TMS has a 62% remission rate and 83% response rate for patients who complete their entire course of treatment. Sackeim HA, et al. (2020). J Affect Disorder, 277:65 74. Based on a real world, retrospective study using CGI-S and a sample size of 615 patients.
- Q) How much does NeuroStar TMS cost?
- TMS is covered by nearly all major healthcare insurers in the United States. Insurability is dependent on meeting specific criteria set by the insurer. During the TMS consultation, we will obtain the necessary information to present to the insurance company and find out if insurance coverage will be granted.
- Q) Does NeuroStar TMS Hurt?
- Some patients may experience a light tapping sensation at the treatment site that may cause minor discomfort as the treatment is administered but this typically subsides within the first week of treatment.
Am I a good candidate for TMS?
When you come in for a consultation, the Aloha Integrative Health team determines if you’re a good candidate for TMS. TMS is generally only recommended after you’ve tried and failed to get improvements in your depression from therapy and antidepressant medication.
TMS is an alternative treatment for your depression or to augment your antidepressant medication or therapy. You may also be considered a good candidate for TMS if you experience unpleasant side effects from your antidepressant medications.
TMS is currently FDA-Cleared for treating major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What can I expect during a TMS procedure?
TMS therapy at Aloha Integrative Health takes about 15-20 minutes. To get the most benefit from treatment, your specialist conducts your therapy five days a week for 4-6 weeks.
During your session, you sit comfortably in a chair while your specialist runs through a series of tests to determine the best placement of the coils for your therapy. Then, your specialist measures your motor threshold, the minimum amount of power necessary to make your thumb twitch, and determines the energy needed to stimulate your brain cells.
They then adjust the TMS coil accordingly and place it over the front region of your brain, and treatment begins. You may hear a series of clicking sounds and a tapping sensation under the coil during your TMS therapy.
After your TMS therapy, you can return to your usual activities without downtime.
To learn more about TMS and how it can help you, call us at (619) 333-3515 or request an appointment online.
NeuroStar Indication Statement to ad fair balance of risk and benefits:
Adult Indications for Use – The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is indicated for the treatment of depressive episodes and for decreasing anxiety symptoms for those who may exhibit comorbid anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and who failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from previous antidepressant medication treatment in the current episode. The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is intended to be used as an adjunct for the treatment of adult patients suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Adolescent Indications for Use – NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is indicated as an adjunct for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescent patients (15-21).
Important Safety Information – NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is only available by prescription. A doctor can help decide if NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is right for you. Patients’ results may vary. The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site. These events are transient; they occur during the TMS treatment course and do not occur for most patients after the first week of treatment. There is a rare risk of seizure associated with the use of TMS therapy (<0.1% per patient). Visit neurostar.com for full safety and prescribing information. [/dm-full] [/dm-section] [dm-section] [dm-full]
Bart’s Story
Watch this video to learn how TMS Therapy helped Bart.
