TMS: An Alternative to Treating Depression with Medication

Depression affects millions of people every year, turning everyday tasks and issues into overwhelming monsters that take hold of people. It can be the result of surgeries, money problems, relationship struggles, and other traumatic events, but there are ways you can fight back.

Through medication and psychotherapy, or talking therapy, most diagnosed depression cases can be controlled. Sometimes, these aids aren’t enough and sometimes people have other reason for not wanting to take medications, so alternative methods of controlling depression had to be developed.

The is where Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) comes in. This alternative form of depression control has been helping those people who can’t take medication, or who find medication doesn’t work for them, find relief from the symptoms of depression.

What is TMS?

TMS therapy is a brain stimulation method that uses focused magnetic pulses to help depressed brainwaves react as they should. While treating depression with TMS, the goal is the stimulation of the nerve cells in the area of the brain the is believed to control mood.

This non-invasive technique is FDA approved for treating the symptoms of depression if they have no reacted to prior antidepressant treatment, and those who have difficulty with the side effects of medication based treatments.

How Does It Work?

The process takes a few set up meetings before your treatments can begin. This a delicate process involving your brain, so careful measurements are taken to locate the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Additional measurements are taken to determine the proper magnetic strength to use for each patient. When the brain is stimulated by magnetic pulse, the thumb on the opposite side of the stimulant will twitch. This is the strength used in your treatments.

Your psychiatrist uses a large MRI style magnet to send magnetic pulses to your left dorsolateral cortex. Like an electric generator, the magnet can manipulate and produce electrical currents in the brain. Since patients with depression have decreased activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the ultimate goal is to restore activity to those regions.

Treatments last anywhere from 15 minutes to a half-hour, and they normally are done 5 days a week for 4-6 weeks.

Is it Safe?

Yes. The numbers don’t lie, and the FDA gave it the green light for use in fighting depression. The process is non-systemic, meaning it doesn’t float around in your bloodstream like normal anti depression medications. It’s also non-invasive meaning no cuts and scars to deal with either.

Less than 6% of patients stopped their treatment due to a bad experience, and most report that TMS feels like an electronic woodpecker that just pokes your head.

There have been more than 10,000 clinical trials to test the validity and safety of TMS as an alternative depression treatment method.

There also isn’t a list of adverse side affects you can see with normal depression medications either. There are no specific side effects, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, nausea, sedation, dry mouth, no effects on concentration or memory, and no drug interactions either.

You can drive yourself to and from your appointments too!

Who is it for?

Let’s start with who shouldn’t use it:

• Patients with metallic devices in their head
• Patients with implants controlled by physiological signals
• Patients with pacemakers
• Patients with implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)
• Patients with vagus nerve stimulators (VNS)

So, who does benefit from it? These are the people that can benefit from TMS:

• Patients who have not responded to psychotherapy
• Patients who have not responded to medications
• Patients who have difficulty with the side effects of antidepressants medications
• Patients who don’t want to take their medication for pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Patients who don’t want to take part in ECT

Conclusion

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation has been a superstar when it comes to finding effective alternatives to treating depression. The use of magnetic pulses to jumpstart brain activity is a promising and safe alternative to the medication methods. Especially as time goes by, we continue to see higher response rates to TMS treatments when anti depression medication has not worked.

If you have been trying to control your depression with medication but you haven’t found any luck in doing so, it might be time to talk to your psychiatrist about alternative depression treatment methods to see if TMS is an option.

Have you or a loved one been helped by TMS? How has TMS helped you when anti depression medications couldn’t? Share your stories about transcranial magnetic stimulation in the comments below.

How Magnetic Therapy devices Reduce Pain

The devises designed for Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy treatment are used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of chronic pain.

Full Body PEMF Mattress :

• Superior strength magnets are incorporated into the structure of the mattress and are selected for their ability to provide an effective and safe environment. As the body comes in contact with the magnetic field, relaxation occurs and stress points are minimized. When the pain subsides, a new vitality is restored, stress is reduced and the body becomes energized.

• The Magnets are invisible to the user but are positioned so that they provide the maximum amount of therapeutic value.

• Magnetic Therapy mattresses provide an affordable and easy solution to reduce pain. The portable mattresses can be used in an office chair, in the car or in a favorite recliner.

• This affordable magnetic therapy mattress makes it worthwhile to purchase as it works as a cushion for areas throughout the home for all family members to enjoy.

• Magnetic cushions are durable, stain resistant, sustain normal wear and maintain their magnetic properties for many years.

 Low Field Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Helmet :

• This device helps in the healing of brain related disorders like Depression, Insomnia and other brain cell degeneration disorders.

• We suggest giving low frequency and low intensity (100-150 µT) at the coil level.

 Local Applicator in Pain Management Therapy :

• We have recently launched the local applicator for local pain relief and provide mobility.           

• It is easy use with strap on pad which can be placed between knees and tied in the back to give relief from back pain, spondylitis, knee pains and other joint symptoms of Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis.                             

Drug-free depression treatment gets boost from health insurer

The treatment of depression has been given a boost with a major health insurer funding a non-drug approach to improve symptoms.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) involves the use of a magnetic coil to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.

The non-invasive treatment takes up to 40 minutes and patients need multiple sessions over several weeks.

Professor Colleen Loo said robust evidence showed TMS helped about 50 percent of patients.

"That's often despite having failed treatment with antidepressant medications and psychological therapy," UNSW Prof. Loo, a psychiatrist based at Sydney's Black Dog Institute, told 9NEWS.

Medibank said it will cover the cost of up to 20 sessions for its members as part of a pilot program across the country.

"We're really excited about this pilot, it's a real breakthrough, it's a first in Australia for a private health insurer to fund outpatient TMS," Dr Andrew Wilson, Medibank's Group Executive of Healthcare & Strategy, said.

The program will help patients avoid having to be admitted to hospital to access treatment.

Prof. Loo said TMS was not Medicare funded and the cost of treatment was an issue among patients who are eligible.

"It's really sad when they then say to us, well I just can't afford it, because you're probably looking at $3000 to $4000 for a treatment course of TMS," she said.

The Medibank program will be trialled for a year so it can be evaluated for customer take up.

Dr Loo said it's a step in the right direction but wider access was needed, given TMS had been established for several years as an effective treatment.

"Because it's not funded by Medicare, this is a problem," she said.

More than one million Australians suffer from depression and psychiatry is in the top five most common hospital claims among Medibank customers.

Psychiatry is the most common hospital claim for members aged in their 20s.

"Mental health does impact on young people disproportionately so it's very important from a mental health perspective that young people get the most effective treatment as quickly as possible," Dr Wilson said.

"For many people TMS can be a life saving treatment for depression."

Source:
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/01/05/20/39/alternative-drug-free-depression-treatment-delivers-results

Best pain reliever for joint pains, 100% safe & effective

Use PEMF therapy with our devices daily for ONE hour and remain healthier for the rest of your life.

Common ailments that many people experience at many stages of their lives are osteoarthritis, menstrual pain, migraine headaches, chronic back pain and etc. Taking medication for these conditions may provide temporary relief but could eventually lead to other problems. But Magnetic Therapy provides a relief to these pain permanently. This Therapy doesn't have any side effects the way other generally prescribed drugs have , neither the patient has to undergo any complicated procedures during the magnetic therapy treatment. The benefits of using the therapy includes improved circulation, reduced levels of stress and instantaneous relief from fatigue and muscle strain.

India based PEMF India offers whole body mattress for PEMF therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation helmet(LFMS) for Neurological Problems & Depression, PEMF applicator for joints pain and arthritis, with one year warranty, treatment with latest PEMF/LFMS based machines & Devices.

People can get pulse electromagnetic field treatment for knee pain, cervical pain, back pain, arthritis & rheumatic problem at its treatment centres in Delhi and Chandigarh. Our devices are deployed in various cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Mohali, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Telangana and Kolkata.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy brings hope to millions of patients faced with surgery or life of a cripple. Surgery should be preserved for patients crippling diseases who do not respond to more conservative treatments. We should think of surgery only when all other safer and less traumatic treatments fail.

The devices used for Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) are electrical instruments to generate a magnetic fields that can influence the diagnosis of a human body. Each magnetic pulse generated by PEMF Therapy stimulates a tiny electrical signal in the cells of the body. This results in stimulation of the repair process. PEMF Therapy is a non- invasive method and many FDA approved devices of PEMF Therapy are available with us to stimulate the process of healing.

Full Body PEMF Mattress :

• Superior strength magnets are incorporated into the structure of the mattress and are selected for their ability to provide an effective and safe environment. As the body comes in contact with the magnetic field, relaxation occurs and stress points are minimized. When the pain subsides, a new vitality is restored, stress is reduced and the body becomes energized.

• The Magnets are invisible to the user but are positioned so that they provide the maximum amount of therapeutic value.

• Magnetic Therapy mattresses provide an affordable and easy solution to reduce pain. The portable mattresses can be used in an office chair, in the car or in a favorite recliner.

• This affordable magnetic therapy mattress makes it worthwhile to purchase as it works as a cushion for areas throughout the home for all family members to enjoy.

• Magnetic cushions are durable, stain resistant, sustain normal wear and maintain their magnetic properties for many years.

Local Applicator in Pain Management Therapy :

• We have recently launched the local applicator for local pain relief and provide mobility.

• It is easy use with strap on pad which can be placed between knees and tied in the back to give relief from back pain, spondylitis, knee pains and other joint symptoms of Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis.