Description

TMS Treatment

In Which Diseases Is TMS Treatment Applied?

TMS treatment has been approved in the USA for only major
depressive disorder patients. Although depression is a treatable disease,
TMS can be tried if medication or psychotherapy does not help. On the
other hand, it is also preferred in cases where drugs or psychotherapy cause
various side effects or bad reactions in the patient. Many European
countries use TMS treatment for the following problems:

Anxiety disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-stroke rehabilitation

Schizophrenia

Parkinson’s

Alzheimer’s

Chronic pain

Smoking addiction

What Should You Pay Attention to Before Treatment?

TMS treatment is not an invasive method. There
is no need for anesthesia and the patient is treated on an outpatient basis. Those
who receive TMS treatment can go home on their own after the application. However,
before the first application, you can bring someone with you to see the side
effects that the application may cause on you and to take precautions.

How is TMS Treatment Done?

This practice is generally applied in
hospitals such as Avicenna Hospital. More than one session should be
applied for the treatment to be successful. It is frequently applied five
times a week, between 4 and 6 weeks. In the first session, your doctor
will find the most suitable magnet points for you. It will also adjust the
best magnetic wave dose specifically for you. Therefore, the first
sessions take an average of 1 hour. Ongoing sessions will take less.

During the treatment, pulses are sent from the electromagnetic
coils placed on your head. Your doctor will refer to the twitches in your
fingers or hand to determine the best dose for you. With the coils
attached to your head, you will be seated in a comfortable semi-horizontal
chair. You will then hear clicking sounds throughout the treatment. You
stay awake during the treatment, which takes an average of 40 minutes. It
is normal to feel little discomfort in your scalp.

TMS Treatment Side Effects

Side effects are usually simple. The
following side effects are seen after the session, even if a little, and they
go away on their own after a short time:

Headaches

Discomfort felt in the scalp

Numbness, spasm or twitching of facial muscles

Dizziness

Your doctor may change the magnetic pulse levels to reduce
symptoms or ask you to take a simple pain reliever before the application.

After TMS Treatment

With the completion of the treatment, you can
easily return to your daily activities. You can go to work or drive a car. With
the successful application of the treatment, there is a decrease or complete
disappearance of depression symptoms. It is necessary to complete several
weekly sessions for the symptoms to decrease. Researches show that the
chance of success increases according to the correct determination of the
amount of magnetic impulses and the points where the coils are placed.

With the completion of the sessions, the standard medication and
psychotherapy treatments for depression can be continued. Here, the
opinion of the specialist who will make your psychological assessment is
important. Your doctor may decide to re-induction for TMS treatment. At
this point, a second treatment process is planned.

Although there are various studies showing that TMS can be used in
the treatment of diseases such as panic attacks, anger problems, attention
deficit or phobia, a definite conclusion has not been reached yet. With
the scientific studies to be completed in the following years, TMS treatment
can be considered as a beacon of hope for these diseases.