Drug-free Depression Treatment That Works for You
TMS is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy, a non-drug treatment for major depression. TMS uses focused magnetic pulses, like an MRI, to reignite dormant synapses in the brain and help your brain function the way it was meant to.
It is not a drug, it is not “shock” therapy, and no surgery is required. It is a safe, effective treatment for major depressive disorder without the common side effects of medication.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is an in-office treatment lasting as little as 19 minutes per daily session over the course of 7 1/2 weeks.
How soon will you see the results?
Many TMS patients start to see improvement within 2 to 3 weeks of treatment. That can include changes in mood, fewer days of depression, and increased desire to engage with other people more often. In fact, your friends and family may notice your results before you do!
As with any therapy, completion is key. Completing the full 7 1/2 -week course of TMS treatment gives the best chance for delivering long lasting relief from depression.
NeuroStar TMS Therapy for depression is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare, usually after medication options have proven ineffective in your major depression treatment. Learn more about insurance coverage options and see if your insurance provider covers NeuroStar treatment.
TMS is not experimental; it was cleared by the FDA in 2008 to help people fight depression and in 2022 for decreasing anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from major depressive disorder and as an adjunct therapy for adults with OCD. Today, NeuroStar is the top TMS choice of doctors, and over 5.6 million treatments have been delivered.
During the session, you will feel a tapping sensation on your head. Each treatment session lasts around 19 minutes. Some NeuroStar patients experience mild to moderate pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site during the first week of treatment. This is usually temporary and subsides in subsequent treatments.
An FDA-cleared depression treatment, NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is safe and easy to tolerate. Because it’s non-drug and non-invasive, it does not have the common systemic side effects of medication. NeuroStar does not have any effects on cognition, sleep, or memory. The most common side effect associated with TMS is mild to moderate pain or discomfort that typically subsides within the first week of treatment.
Many people’s depression symptoms significantly improve or go away after 4 to 6 weeks of treatment. In clinical studies, TMS has been shown to provide acute treatment response and remission for over one year.
If you suffer from depression or anxiety symptoms associated with depression but have not benefited from your current medications—or are not happy with their side effects—TMS Advanced Therapy may be right for you. NeuroStar may also be a good choice if you have tried switching medications for depression but have still not found remission from your symptoms.
You recline comfortably in a NeuroStar chair (much like a dentist’s chair or spa chair) during treatment. During a treatment session, precisely targeted magnetic pulses stimulate the mood-regulating areas in the brain. There is no anesthesia or sedation. You are fully awake and alert during treatment, and you can resume normal activities immediately after a treatment session.
NeuroStar is a non-invasive FDA-cleared therapy that uses short magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the area of the brain that controls mood. These pulses can have a lasting effect on the brain’s neurotransmitter levels, helping people suffering from depression achieve a positive response and, in some cases, long-term remission from depression symptoms. Because TMS is not a drug, it doesn’t cause the side effects that are often associated with antidepressants.
A real-world study reported an 83% response rate. This means that 83% of patients that completed their NeuroStar treatment cycle saw measurable improvement in their depression symptoms.
The same real-world study reported a 62% remission rate. This means that 62% of patients that completed their NeuroStar treatment cycle likely wouldn’t be diagnosed with MDD if they were first being evaluated by their doctor.
By comparison, in a separate study not involving NeuroStar, for patients who have not found relief from 3 or more antidepressants, the chance of remission from subsequent medications is less than 7%.