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TMS is a method of using magnets — or a magnetic field — to impact brain activity. Because the brain runs on electrical impulses, other electric impulses directed at certain areas can cause a kind of reset in the brain.
This kind of therapy is non-invasive and can help with a number of ailments, such as:
Naturally, different parts of the brain control different parts of the body. TMS Types are carefully targeted and calibrated for each individual. It certainly has fewer and less severe side effects than many other therapy options. In the NY/NJ area, Drs. Dmitriy Dvoskin, Mark Cohen and Leon Reyfman offer exceptional TMS and other neurological treatments at Neuro Injury Specialists. Each individual therapy session is designed specifically for your needs, with consistent follow-up.
It’s common to think that transcranial magnetic stimulation is somehow related to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or shock therapy. Although both stimulate the brain, TMS is a much gentler procedure that doesn’t require general anesthesia like ECT. TMS does not cause short term memory loss or confusion as shock therapy does.
It has a few minor side effects, such as:
TMS treatment consists of placing an electromagnetic coil on the head and sending magnetic waves to specific parts of the brain. TMS is repetitive electromagnetic bursts of energy. For this reason, it’s sometimes known as rTMS — repetitive TMS.
These magnetic waves awaken brain networks that are related to mood, for example, if your problem is depression. TMS also creates neuroplasticity, which is the ability to create new neuropathways in the brain, allowing you a way out of your particular problem.
You may see results anywhere from a couple of weeks to more than a month into treatment. Naturally, outcomes are as individual as the patient.
Variants that affect how the treatment works include:
In a majority of cases, results were seen within a month of treatment. Treatments are done in cycles — one cycle usually being five times a week for four to six weeks. The outcome is then measured, and a course of treatment suggested. For some, the effects may last months, for others, it may take another gentler cycle of treatments to get the desired result.
Again, each person is unique. Some may initially feel a temporary relief of symptoms, while others may be symptom free for six months to a year. Although results for MDD are good, it may take more than one cycle and more follow-up treatments to remain depression free.
Your unique TMS therapy will have adjustments made that include:
For example, with depression, the waves are aimed at the pre-frontal cortex. If your depression is still serious, your physician may adjust the magnet or the pulse strength or frequency. He may just suggest another gentler cycle of treatments.
It’s vital that you and your doctor have a trustworthy relationship. Whatever ailment brought you to transcranial magnetic stimulation is serious and requires the utmost candor between you and your physician.
You’re a good candidate for TMS if you:
If you have depression and you don’t think your medication is working, or you don’t like the side effects, you may get relief from TMS. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is becoming more widespread in its use and applications, particularly for those in New York and New Jersey wishing to get away from the multitudinous side effects of prescription medications.
You most definitely need a qualified doctor to administer TMS. You’re dealing with the human brain, after all. Contact the physicians at Neuro Injury Specialists; they’re used to dealing with a variety of neurological illnesses. Doctors Cohen, Dvoskin and Reyfman are all specialists in brain injury diagnosis and treatment and pain management.
They each have their own areas of expertise beyond that, but they’re all professional and compassionate physicians. If you have a need for transcranial magnetic stimulation in the New York or New Jersey area, you can rely on the team at Neuro Injury Specialists.