At our Los Angeles clinic, we use TMS therapy to stimulate the brain to create changes in brain function to improve mental health without the need for medication. TMS therapy involves stimulating the brain with a frequency that the brain is more able to tune into, namely theta burst stimulation.
Modern TMS machines can be programmed to stimulate the brain at different frequencies in order to give it a stimulus that the brain can more easily adapt to. TMS stimulates the brain using high-frequency stimulation called Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS), or Express TMS. TBS is a relatively new technology that uses a shorter electrical stimulation that is more comfortable than older protocols that last for between 20 and 40 minutes. TBS allows for more affordable and accessible treatment, which results in less stress in our daily lives.
Benefits of TMS therapy include…
1. Fast turnaround time
Most TMS therapies are a quick procedure and can be done during your lunch break from work. This makes it very convenient because you don’t have to take a whole day off just to get your mental health treatments. Schedule in advance to be sure you can come in and receive treatments at your ideal time.
2. High success rate for most people
TMS is very effective in treating depression. TMS is an extremely safe, effective, and painless treatment for depression. It actually works. Traditional medications have low success rates for those who suffer from severe depression, especially if the first few medications don’t work. TMS can increase the brain’s ability to process information more rapidly than medication can. However, patients at the Los Angeles location have been able to show that the therapy has helped them to at least partially relieve their symptoms.
3. TMS is safe, has minimal side effects, and is approved by the FDA
TMS is a safe, non-invasive therapy that targets specific areas of the brain and is statistically safer than antidepressant medication. Medications are ingested and cause a wide range of side effects, including weight gain, fatigue and drowsiness, nausea, sleepless nights, sleep disorders, and even apathy. TMS can cause a patient to experience occasional mild side effects, such as headaches, lightheadedness, and pain in the scalp, but these effects are brief and do not last very long after the treatment is over. These effects are brief and last only a few minutes after the treatment session is over. TMS has not caused any of its patients to feel uncomfortable or to continue feeling depressed for a long time (as some people have reported).
4. Long-term, lasting results backed by research
According to a report by Harvard Health, treating depression by using a cognitive therapy approach has shown success rates of 50-60%. TMS can stimulate the brain to work at specific frequencies that the brain can adapt to. TMS is different from any other treatment that relies on medications because the results last much longer than the medication itself. This is in contrast to the traditional medications, where the effects of treatment must continue for a long time, or they risk relapse or a severe depressing episode. TMS can help people with many different symptoms of depression, like anxiety, memory loss, and sleep problems; the benefits of TMS can last for up to 12 months in 90% of patients who found success with the therapy.
5. TMS treatments are often completely covered by your insurance plan.
Some insurance providers fully cover TMS therapy. If you are unsure if you are covered by your insurance company, you can call our office anytime and ask us to check your benefits for you. Click here to call us now at (323) 792-2071 or contact us here.