Five Ways TMS Treatment Works in Treating Depressive Illness

Using conventional medications in treating or reducing symptoms of hard to treat conditions like depression is emerging and has the potential to advance exponentially. Mental health doctors have taken notice of how depressive signs and symptoms get relieved after using TMS therapy after some time. 

With so much evolving in the technology and medical industries, many changes have happened. That means medical technology is growing to make medicine accessible, safe, efficient in addition to minor adverse reactions to the treatment of illnesses. 

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy is a revolutionary treatment that uses computer-controlled electromagnetic programs. This therapy uses an electromagnetic coil to send short and powerful magnetic energy outbursts to the brain thus stimulating a nerve activity on the left side of the brain's frontal cortex. 

During this treatment, the magnetic fields deliver a similar magnetic strength to the magnetic coil type. Recently, 40% of patients who have undergone this treatment result in significant symptom relief thus positively influence the quality of life after that. 

Let us now look at the benefits of using TMS treatment in treating depressive illnesses. 

The benefits of using TMS therapy to treat depression include: 

• Non-invasive 

The primary idea behind this treatment therapy was to make it tolerable and painless for patients. This is why TMS therapy does not require surgery or any invasive procedures on patients to cure depression. 

This is evident as placing the treatment coils is on the head to access the prefrontal cortex from the head surface. Then the coils transmit magnetic fields directly to the affected part that turns to low currents of electricity once in the brain. 

Besides, the electric currents only activate brain cells to release neurotransmitters that are responsible for mood regulations. 

Since TMS therapy can only access about 2-3 centimeters directly into the brain, it does not require open surgery to treat depression. 

• TMS therapy is efficient

Recent studies show that this treatment actually works. Patients who seek TMS therapy to relieve depressive signs and symptoms have had positive results. Several patients claim successful depressive symptom relief and treatment over time. 

This latest demographic data proves TMS efficacy in treating this complicated mental illness.

• TMS therapy does not require in-patient hospitalization

The beauty of this revolutionary treatment is its short treatment time. It only requires about half an hour of your time to get treatment. Treatment is possible just from the outpatient department and thus enables patients to drive back home or to work afterward. 

With outpatient treatment service, patients are happy with it because they can resume their daily activities after the treatment. 

• TMS therapy has little to no side effects 

Unlike using antidepressants to treat depression, this treatment has no side effects at all. Patients using antidepressant pills usually experience negative side effects like weight gain, decreased sexual drive, dry oral cavity,  and nausea just to mention a few. 

Nevertheless, TMS does not have such side effects experienced by patients using it. 

• TMS therapy is a better alternative for botched ECT treatment 

Since it uses strategically placed magnetic coils, it may be a good treatment choice for patients who did not succeed in electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) in curing depression. 

Unlike the common depressive illness treatments, this therapy has more benefits than side effects during treatment if only done right. Apart from that if the required treatment sessions commence smoothly, side effects cases like memory loss do not occur. 

Bonus details of TMS treatment

In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration approved using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy to treat depression. The decision to list the therapy as safe happened after the medical board was satisfied that it benefits humans especially mentally ill people.  

Apart from treating depressive illnesses, TMS therapy also benefits other patients suffering from chronic illnesses. TMS also relieves symptoms of long-term illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Schizophrenia, autism, cigarette addiction, stroke effects, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain just to mention but a few.  

Furthermore, UK mental health doctors encourage patients and their guardians to quickly depression signs such as increased episodes of mood swings, restlessness, and insomnia, inability to eat or overeat. This is important because treating a depressive illness at the early stages is easy before it complicates further to long-term mental disorders.