The debilitating illness that is depression leaves many Australians asking the question, how to cure depression? There are many treatment forms available including common forms like psychotherapy and medication. However, there is no definitive cure that helps everyone dealing with this serious illness. So, where can people go when common approaches aren’t working?
At Sydney TMS we have introduced Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy to provide an alternative depression treatment. TMS is a non-invasive option to those people who have tried common approaches and still experience symptoms. Patients who come through our doors have failed two or more medication treatments or do not tolerate the side effects. These patients have been depressed for many years. Many have also been hospitalised while others have also received ECT.
The TMS treatment procedure uses a magnetic coil placed gently over the patient’s scalp. During the process the coil delivers a range of pulsating magnetic pulses. These pulses stimulate the prefrontal cortex for approximately 30-40 minutes during each session. Throughout all treatment sessions, the patient is fully awake and aware. During the first few sessions, the patient may experience a mild discomfort over the scalp. There are relatively few side effects associated with TMS therapy. For therapy to be effective, patients must receive TMS treatment at least three times a week. We recommend that an acute course includes 30 treatments. Patients can remain on their current treatment while starting TMS treatment. As treatment progresses we monitor changes and recommend existing treatment changes as required.
At Sydney TMS we are constantly monitoring the results we are achieving and comparing these to published data. We are happy the results our patients are achieving are in line with the latest published data. Currently, two thirds of patients experience a significant clinical improvement with half of these patients receiving full remission. These are good solid results considering we are treating patients with treatment resistant depression who have been suffering depression for many years without significant improvement. There are many scientific articles that have been published regarding TMS. For those people thinking about treatment options, there are published articles comparing TMS and ECT therapy. Researchers are regularly publishing data on TMS treatment and we publish new articles as they come to light on our website www.sydneytms.com.au
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