What To Expect
Initial Consultation
An initial consultation will be scheduled to determine if TMS is an appropriate treatment for you. At that time, your Doctor will review your symptoms, health history and prior treatments you’ve received.
Your First Session: The Set Up
Your first session is typically the longest due to the fact that your Doctor will need to determine the best placement on your scalp for the device as well as the magnetic strength required for effective treatment. This is accomplished by identifying your motor threshold, which is the amount of magnetic strength that is required to cause movement of the fingers on your right hand. Once device location and magnetic strength are determined, your treatment can begin.
Your First Session: When Treatment Begins
The device will deliver magnetic pulses which may feel like tapping on your scalp. The magnetic pulses make a loud clicking sound (similar to an MRI), so you will be provided with earplugs.
The TMS machine we use completes the FDA approved depression treatment session in under 19 minutes, older machines take twice as long to administer the same treatment. Novel FDA cleared protocols such as Theta Burst Stimulation can be administered in as little time as 3 minutes. This greatly reduces the time commitment for the patient.
After the First Session: What Happens Next?
Each subsequent treatment will last 19 minutes or as little as 3 minutes depending on the protocol you and your physician choose. There is no downtime after treatment and you can leave the office and resume normal daily activity immediately. A full course of TMS typically consists of 36 treatments. These can be done once a day five days a week over several weeks, or multiple sessions can be done in a single day shortening the length of treatment to as little as two weeks. A combination of these two approaches can also be used to maximize the convenience for the patient.
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