TMS Therapy: Can It Help Your Untreatable Depression?
If none of your doctor's treatments control the symptoms of your depression, you may seek help elsewhere for what you need. In your search for answers, you may encounter a treatment called TMS therapy. TMS therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, can help treat major depressive disorders like yours. Learn more about your untreatable depression and how TMS therapy can help below.
Why Do Your Current Treatments Fail?
Depression generally occurs when something damages or hinders the functions of the prefrontal cortex inside your brain. The prefrontal cortex controls or stimulates many of your brain's most important functions, including your ability to maintain self-control, stay motivated in life, and think clearly. Some people can experience severe problems with their prefrontal cortex. The problems can lead to untreatable depression.
The symptoms of severe depression may not respond well to traditional treatments. The medications used to address the symptoms of your depression may not be strong enough to control the problems, or the medications may be too high and cause other problems for you. The treatments may also struggle to stimulate and reactivate the prefrontal cortex. If the prefrontal cortex isn't working as it should, the symptoms of your depression can worsen.
TMS therapy can improve your life by reactivating your prefrontal cortex.
How Does TMS Therapy Work?
TMS uses special magnetic fields to stimulate the nerve cells inside your prefrontal cortex. The nerve cells inside the prefrontal cortex can stop receiving and transmitting signals in your brain. The magnetic fields used in TMS gently wake up the cells so that they work properly.
The treatment process for TMS therapy is relatively simple in nature. Doctors or specialists generally place a small device called an electromagnetic coil on your scalp. The device slowly releases tiny pulses into your scalp. The pulses encourage the nerve cells in your prefrontal cortex to wake up and become active again. Once the cells activate, the symptoms of your depression slowly subside.
TMS therapy doesn't cause pain or make you feel uncomfortable during the treatment. However, you may experience some mild tenderness in your scalp, headache, and several other temporary side effects. Most people feel better some time after they complete their first few treatments.
Doctors and specialists who offer TMS therapy will go over the treatment and how it works with you during your visit.
Learn more about TMS therapy and if it's right for you by contacting a health and medical specialist today.