Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Huntsville, Alabama
HOW DEPRESSION AFFECTS YOUR BRAIN ACTIVITY
For people diagnosed with depression, specific areas of the brain are underactive. Stimulating these areas can improve the brain’s ability to regulate your mood.
Synergy Wellness offers Neurostar, a cutting-edge FDA-approved technology using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to treat depression. The series of treatment can be life changing for those suffering from depression and works without the drug side-effects.
If previous treatments for depression didn’t work for you, TMS may be covered by your insurance as well.*
HOW NEUROSTAR WORKS
What is TMS?
FDA-Cleared Treatment (since 2008)
Since the 1980s, people have been using antidepressants to treat depression - but they don't work for everyone. TMS isn't a medication - it works via targeted magnetic pulses.
Targeted Treatment
Anti-depressant medications often come with many drug-related side effects. Unlike medications, TMS targets depression right at the source. That means no drug-related side effects.
Non-Invasive
TMS is non-invasive and non-sedative. Treatments takes place in our private room and you can drive yourself to and from your appointment. No downtime. You can get back to work or school right away.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
TMS IS EFFECTIVE, SAFE, AND COMFORTABLE.
Experience fewer side effects compared to traditional antidepressant medication. The most common side effect (with more than 10,000 treatments) of TMS was mild-moderate scalp discomfort.
Wondering if TMS will affect your personality? It’s simple: no! TMS targets the area of the brain that regulates your mood to treat depression right at its source.
Is TMS Right for Me?
Every patient is different, but if you agree with two or more statements below – TMS may be right for you.
- I have tried 3 or more anti-depressant medications with little to no results
- I have switched depression medications due to side effects
- My depression is interfering with my daily life
- I have experienced or have concerns about side effects of depression medication
- I am interested in a non-drug, FDA-Cleared therapy for my depression
Frequently Asked Questions
TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It is used to treat depression by stimulating the brain non-invasively using electromagnetic fields, similar to those produced by an MRI machine. During TMS Therapy, a magnetic field is administered in very short pulses to the part of the brain that research has demonstrated to be associated with depression. The typical initial course of treatment is about 19-37 minutes daily over 4-6 weeks.
The NeuroStar TMS Therapy system uses short pulses of magnetic fields to stimulate the area of the brain that is thought to function abnormally in patients with depression. The magnetic field produces an electric current in the brain that stimulates the brain cells (neurons). This results in changes that are thought to be beneficial in the treatment of depression.
TMS is non-systemic (meaning it does not circulate in the blood throughout the body), so it does not have side effects such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction, nausea, dry mouth, sedation, etc. The most common side effects reported during clinical trials were headache and scalp discomfort – generally mild to moderate – occurring less frequently after the first week of treatment.
No. TMS Therapy involves a unique method of using pulsed magnetic fields for therapeutic benefit. The intensity of the magnetic field is similar to that of the magnetic fields used in magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. These techniques differ radically from the popular use of low intensity, static magnetic fields. These products deliver weak and undirected static fields that are not capable of activating brain cells.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) uses a targeted pulsed magnetic field, similar to what is used in an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine. While the patient is awake and alert, TMS Therapy stimulates areas of the brain that are underactive in depression.
- You’ll recline comfortably in the treatment chair
- A small, curved magnetic coil will be positioned lightly on your head
- TMS delivers focused magnetic stimulation directly to the target areas of the brain
- In-office treatment with TMS Therapy takes 19-37 minutes.
- You will be fully awake and alert. You can read or watch TV and return to work after your treatment with no restrictions.