Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): A holistic approach to mental health

TMS is FDA approved treatment for specific psychiatric conditions. It uses gentle magnetic stimulation to wake up local and distant parts of the brain. 

Medication stimulates the brain by blocking or increasing different neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine or norepinephrine. TMS works to increase neurotransmission and neuromodulation with magnetic stimulation rather than with medication. 

This treatment was first approved by the FDA in 2008 and has continually shown to be safe, tolerable and effective (Kaster & Blumberger, 2024). 

TMS is FDA approved for those who have treatment resistant depression, OCD, anxious depression, adolescent and geriatric depression ( 15-87 years old) and smoking cessation. 

• FDA approved for ages 15-87 
• Anxious Depression  
• Depression/ Treatment Resistant Depression
• OCD/ Treatment Resistant OCD 
• Those feeling "out of sync" with themselves 
• Those stuck in a thought loops
• Those who want to feel like themselves again 
• Those who want a non-medication option 
• Those tired of trial-and-error and

TMS uses an magnetic pulses to stimulate the cells in the brain that are thought to be under or overactive, contributing to and/or causing depression, anxiety and or OCD. 

You can think of it as waking up a muscle that has been underutilized or learning how to use a muscle in a more helpful way. 

It works similar to the way medication works, but without the medication. Medication and magnetic stimulation both work on stimulating neurotransmitters, but TMS does it with magnets. 

TMS treatment looks and feels like wearing a helmet that produces magnetic pulses that sounds like a clicking sound. It feels like something is tapping on your head. You would wear the helmet and earplugs for 18-22 minutes  a day, for 5 days a week, for 4-6 weeks.  

The Accelerated TMS protocol is FDA approved. This protocol is all 36 treatments of TMS in 6 days rather than over 4-6 weeks.

Think of it like a muscle, you cannot expect to have a strong muscle after 1, 2, or 3 visits to the gym. The brain stimulation is built slowly. People have seen effects as soon as 5-10 treatments sessions.