TMS Therapy

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy uses specific magnetic pulses to treat depression at its source, within the brain’s inactive nerve cells. At Northwest Psychiatry & Counseling in Bentonville, Arkansas, the foremost team of TMS experts in the Northwest Arkansas region uses the industry’s top-rated TMS therapy system, NeuroStar®, to help patients with treatment-resistant depression find rapid relief. Call the office or click online scheduling to learn more about this noninvasive, drug-free treatment.

What is TMS therapy?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is a unique method of treating chronic depression. In this type of therapy, a magnet, about the same power as the ones in MRI machines, emits pulses that stimulate certain nerve cells in the brain. 

Experts believe that this specific area of the brain is underactive in people struggling with depression, so the TMS awakens it and helps improve neurotransmitter (brain chemical) levels. Ultimately, the improved neurotransmitter levels can potentially relieve depression. 

Northwest Psychiatry & Counseling is proud to have the state-of-the-art NeuroStar TMS system in its office. The team includes licensed NeuroStar specialists who are experts in administering this unique therapy.

About 83% of patients who complete NeuroStar TMS therapy experience significant depression relief, and 62% have full depression remission. So far, it’s helped more than 3 million people to find relief from their debilitating depression symptoms. 

Who is TMS therapy for?

TMS therapy is for people who struggle with depression that doesn’t improve with medications such as antidepressants. NeuroStar is also FDA cleared to treat depression along with anxiety (anxious depression) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). 

What can I expect during TMS therapy? 

You’ll sit in a cushy chair, and the team positions a padded curved coil around your head. You’ll hear clicking noises and feel light tapping against your head, but the process is comfortable. 

During the treatment, the magnetic pulses are repeatedly delivered to the ideal location and depth within the brain, with more than 100,000 pulses delivered over a full course of treatment. 

Studies show that this specific pattern of pulses promotes the brain’s ability to repair itself, adapt, and change, which means that TMS therapy can have long-lasting results. 

You’ll be awake for the whole TMS therapy session, which lasts 19-37 minutes. It doesn’t affect your memory or sleep, and you can resume your regular routine immediately after. 

How often do I need TMS therapy?

TMS therapy works best when sessions occur close together over a short period, so you’ll have NeuroStar sessions five days a week over four to six weeks. 

TMS is proven safe and effective and has a large body of evidence supporting its use in patients struggling to find relief with other treatment methods. Call Northwest Psychiatry & Counseling or book an appointment online now to learn more.