An alternative treatment for depression.
TMS Therapy is safe and without the side effects often associated with medications, known for its effectiveness in treating mental health conditions.
Embark on a journey to better mental health with our specialized TMS therapy options, designed to cater to your individual needs.
Both Tiers include a multidisciplinary team approach, supervised by experienced psychiatric providers, and includes a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to individual needs.
Note: LifeWorksTMS strives to offer the highest level of mental healthcare at the lowest possible cost. Similar services for this treatment protocol are offered at other clinics for $18,000 + travel.
Offered only to patients within driving distance of our Birmingham, AL through our partner Magnetic Hope. (See www.magnetichope.com )
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS Therapy for depression is a new treatment that is highly effective in treating depression. The procedure involves applying magnetic currents through magnetic coils on the scalp, which stimulates nerve cells in the brain and affects mood.
When a TMS treatment is given, an electromagnet induces a magnetic pulse in the brain by gently stimulating nerve cells that have been affected by depression. It’s thought to activate regions of the brain that have decreased activity due to depression and improve mood.
Depression is a common mental health condition that can be effectively treated through counseling or medication. For some, these treatments don’t work, and they are then prescribed repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to help with symptoms of depression. While the reason rTMS has such a positive effect is not fully understood, it appears to change the way your brain’s working, which in turn can lead to remission of depressive symptoms and overall relief.
A magnetic coil is placed over the head in the targeted area and a series of rapid magnetic pulses are administered. These pulses are of the same type and strength as those used in MRI machines. The magnetic pulses pass through the skull and go a short distance into the brain. There they are thought to activate the neurons, cause chemical changes as well as induce the neurons to connect and signal more with each other. This in turn improves mood and cognition. TMS does NOT administer electricity. It administers magnetic pulses.
With over 1.5 million treatments to 60,000 patients TMS has a long safety record. It has few risks and side-effects.
The remission rates for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy vary depending on the severity of depression and the specific protocol used. Studies have shown that TMS can lead to significant remission rates in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). A recent study using a new form of TMS called SAINT reported impressive results, with 85.7% of participants in the active SAINT group meeting the response criterion and 78.6% meeting the remission criterion in at least one of the five post-treatment assessments. Accelerated LifeWorksTMS utilize a modified version of the SAINT protocol with the expectation of similar results.
Every medical treatment has risks, benefits and side effects. The most serious risk of TMS is that it can cause a seizure. This is extremely rare. The older statistics estimated the risk at 1/30,000 treatments. Newer data show an even lower risk of 1/89,000 treatments. Therefore seizures are more common from medications than from TMS. For example, the risk of seizures with bupropion (Wellbutrin) is 4/1,000.
Seizures from TMS are usually in patients with a predisposing condition like severe head trauma, usually last less than 5 minutes and do not usually cause long-term medical complications.
While not a side effect of TMS, patients struggling with depression can have suicidal thinking or behavior. If you develop suicidal thinking and may act on it, you should call 911 or go to the ER.
As with medication and light therapy treatments for depression, TMS can cause hypomania or mania. This uncommon side effect tends to occur in patients with an underlying genetic predisposition due to a family history of manic depression (also called bipolar disorder). We will screen for this and watch for any signs of this.
Yes. Most patients continue their medications during TMS. In fact, we try to minimize medication changes during TMS for the stimulation level to remain constant. After TMS, some patients taper off some or all of their medications. This would depend on your provider’s recommendation based on your history and prognosis as well as on your response to TMS.
No. TMS is non-invasive, so there is no anesthesia and no systemic side effects.
Yes. The magnetic coil is placed far enough away so as not to cause any harm to the fetus. However, because the initial clinical trials excluded pregnant women, there is no specific FDA clearance for TMS in pregnancy. However, later trials evaluated safety and efficacy of TMS in pregnant women, and no absolute contraindication was assigned.
The most common side effect is scalp discomfort during TMS treatment in about 5-30% of patients. Some patients describe it as a tapping sensation under the coil. As the treatment progresses, most patients no longer complain of discomfort as their scalp adjusts to the sensation. We always recommend pre-treating with Tylenol or Advil 30 minutes before your TMS session for the first week or so till your scalp adjusts (unless these medications are contraindicated for you). We also turn down the intensity level in the beginning of TMS and only gradually increase it as tolerated.
Up to one half of patients report tension-type headaches after the initial TMS sessions. The headaches usually resolve in 30 minutes to two hours. They can be treated with OTC pain medications. It can also uncommonly cause light-headedness, especially in patients with postural hypotension.
Patients may also report muscle twitching during the TMS session due to stimulation of superficial nerves. If this occurs, we make adjustments to minimize this.
Because the TMS machine makes a tapping noise similar to an MRI machine, it could damage hearing. We give each patient either ear buds or foam ear plugs to protect hearing and to also lessen the risk of headache. You may bring your own noise cancelling ear buds if you prefer.
TMS does NOT cause brain damage, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, memory impairment, dry mouth, nausea, urinary retention or constipation. TMS is not addictive or habit-forming.
The simple answer is cost. The initial trials evaluating TMS only included patients who had failed one or more antidepressants. Thus the FDA only approved TMS for the treatment of adult patients who had failed one of more medications (treatment resistant depression or TRD). It doesn’t mean TMS can’t work as a first line treatment for depression, only that insurance will only pay for it for TRD at this time. Accelerated TMS is not covered by insurance at this time.
Without aftercare, two out of three patients will maintain their response or remission 6-12 months after their course of TMS. About one third could see a return of their depressive symptoms. Our LifeWorks Partners aftercare program is designed to instill healthy habits post TMS, leading to your best chance of long term remission.
Yes: Patients who have magnet-sensitive metals such as ferrous (iron) in their head or neck cannot do TMS. This would include bullet fragments, metal plates and medical devices such as a brain shunt, cochlear implant, aneurysm clips, electrodes, pumps or a deep brain stimulator. Standard amalgam dental fillings and permanent retainers are usually ok as they are not reactive to magnets.
