NeuroStar TMS is a non-invasive treatment for a variety of mental illnesses that have resisted other kinds of therapy or medication. NeuroStar TMS has offered hope to hundreds of thousands of people who have struggled with treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxious depression.
If you have thought of trying NeuroStar TMS, you may have questioned, do NeuroStar treatments hurt? Before exploring the sensations you might feel during a treatment session, it is important to start with how NeuroStar TMS treatments work. Understanding how TMS works provides insight into your treatment experience.
TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It is the intentional use of electromagnetic pulses aimed at targeted areas in the brain to increase neuron activity. NeuroStar TMS treatments are not designed to break the skin.
During your treatment session, you sit in a comfortable chair, and a coil is placed directly over your scalp near the targeted area of the brain. A computer generates magnetic pulses that create minor electric currents in the brain. These electric currents stimulate brain cells, helping improve your symptoms.
Although the electromagnetic pulses stimulate the brain, the treatment is considered non-invasive because there are no breaks to the skin, anesthesia, surgery, or implants. However, the electronic pulses could create a tapping or knocking sensation on the scalp underneath the treatment coil.
Some people have reported mild discomfort on the skin, toothaches, eye pain, or headaches during or after the session. This, again, is related to the magnetic pulses being directed at the brain. It is also common to hear some clicking sounds as the magnetic pulses are administered. TMS does not require sedation or pain medication, which allows you to return to your everyday activities immediately after each treatment session.
NeuroStar TMS treatment cycles require daily treatment five days per week for seven weeks. Typically, you may experience these side effects only during the first week of treatment or sometimes just the first few days. In the following three to five weeks, most people do not experience side effects or much discomfort. However, individual experiences can vary, so you should discuss your concerns with us before beginning your treatment cycle.
While NeuroStar TMS treatments are effective and safe for many people, they are not the right choice for everyone. TMS therapy uses electromagnetic pulses to generate current, which means you are not a good candidate if you have any implanted metallic devices. This could be a cochlear implant, deep brain stimulator, pacemaker, or a tattoo created with ferromagnetic ink. Electromagnetic stimulation could heat the metal in these devices and destroy the surrounding tissue. The magnetic fields could also move the metal objects or disrupt their function.
The FDA recently cleared the use of NeuroStar TMS in adolescents aged 15 to 21 as an adjunctive therapy for MDD only.
Disruptions in the brain’s electrical system, such as a head injury, a neurological degenerative disorder, or a seizure disorder, may also mean you are not a good candidate. During your first consultation, we will ask about your mental and physical health history. This helps to identify medical conditions that may preclude you from NeuroStar TMS therapy.
Treatment-resistant MDD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and comorbid anxiety related to depression are challenging mental health conditions that can impair your quality of life. If you would like to explore a non-pharmaceutical treatment option, we encourage you to call our office and schedule a consultation to learn more about NeuroStar TMS.
The FDA cleared NeuroStar TMS in 2008, and since then, hundreds of thousands of people have undergone therapy that has reduced their symptoms. During your appointments, we can answer your questions, including whether NeuroStar treatments hurt, how much treatments cost, and whether insurance covers treatments.
**Outcomes Registry data was published by Sackeim HA, et al. J Affective Disorders, 2020, 277(12):65-74. The outcomes reported represent the subset of study patients for which the CGI-S data was reported before and after an acute course of NeuroStar TMS. Patients were treated under real-world conditions where patients may have been prescribed concomitant depression treatments including medications. “Measurable relief” was defined as a CGI-S score <=3 and “complete remission” was defined as a CGI-S score <=2 at the end of treatment.
Adult Indications for Use
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is indicated for the treatment of depressive episodes and for decreasing anxiety symptoms for those who may exhibit comorbid anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and who failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from previous antidepressant medication treatment in the current episode.
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is intended to be used as an adjunct for the treatment of adult patients suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Adolescent Indications for Use
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is indicated as an adjunct for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescent patients (15-21).
Important Safety Information
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is only available by prescription. A doctor can help decide if NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is right for you. Patients’ results may vary.
The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site. These events are transient; they occur during the TMS treatment course and do not occur for most patients after the first week of treatment. There is a rare risk of seizure associated with the use of TMS therapy (<0.1% per patient).
Visit neurostar.com for full safety and prescribing information.
