New treatment for depression
It’s mental health awareness month, and there are continuous advances in treatment. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, known as TMS, that is said to relieve symptoms of depression.
TMS is recommended to some to treat mild to moderate depression.
“We had the first machine in Idaho. It’s taken a while for Idaho to approve it as a treatment for depression, but blue cross blue shield and most the insurances now cover TMS. Treatment typically is 5 to 7 weeks 5 times a week and typically lasts 35 to 37 minutes,” says Eric Pettingill, a therapist at the Mental Wellness Center in Idaho Falls.
It uses magnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain.
“When we look at imaging that’s done on a depressed brain it does not work as well as a brain that is working normally. So we find that someone who has had this and is successful it actually jump starts it,” says Nathan Bradfield, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
It relieves symptoms from six months to up to a few years but it takes a couple sessions to work. And isn’t a ‘cure all end all.’
“People won’t see any results until week three. They get kind of frustrated like ‘gee, when am I going to start noticing something’ but usually around week three they notice some changes. I think another thing people are hoping for is total symptom relief. There is a significant reduction of symptoms. As far as total symptom relief most people don’t encounter that or experience that.”
They say the first step is to seek therapy, and if they feel like this is necessary they will recommend it. The only side effect that has been reported is headaches after treatment, but they go away.
