What Are The Potential Risks Of TMS Therapy?

Depression is a prevailing mental health condition in the world. Although anti-depressant medications and talk therapy is always the first treatment for treating depression symptoms, however, not every patient finds relieve with the traditional depression treatments.

For such patients, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy is no less than a blessing. It has only been a decade since FDA has approved the TMS therapy for treating depression; thus no many depression people have access to this therapy, and not every health provider that offers depression treatment in the Bronx provides TMS therapy.

Although TMS is highly recommended to patients that do not react to other depression treatments; however, due to many myths about TMS therapy, patients are afraid to go through this treatment.

TMS is a non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate and target the specific areas of the brain that are linked to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD. The magnetic pulses pass painlessly through the skull to the brain to produce neuronal activity changes in the portions of the brain that control mood and depression symptoms.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy does not require general anesthesia, and patients are wide awake during the treatment. TMS treatment usually involves 3-4 sessions per week for two months or more, depending on the patient’s progress.

TMS is considered to be an entirely safe treatment that is well-tolerated by the patients, and patients are even allowed to drive and return to their usual activities after the treatment session, so there is no recovery time involved. This goes to show that TMS treatment has minor to no risks that might cause trouble not only the day-to-day activities but also in the long run for the patient that goes through TMS.

However, it should not be assumed that TMS is no side-effect or no risk therapy. Most depression patients that go through the TMS therapy experience mild headaches that subside with time and over-the-counter pain relief medications. Many patients also experience scalp discomfort, lightheadedness, twitching, or tingling of facial muscles; however, all of these symptoms subside with time.

It is also essential to keep in mind that TMS therapy has not been associated with several other side-effects like sedation, dry mouth, weight gain, gastrointestinal upset, or sexual dysfunction. Although these side-effects are rare, it is essential to note that TMS therapy comes with some severe risks including seizures (people with brain surgery or injury history are at higher risk), mania (for people that have bipolar disorder), and hearing loss (due to insufficient ear protection).

Depression patients with any kind of non-removable metals (devices or objects) implanted in or near their head, magnetic-sensitive or metallic facial tattoos, head injury, or bullet fragments are not advised to opt TMS therapy without proper consultation and comprehensive examination because TMS can move, malfunction or heat up the metallic implants that can cause severe injury or even death.