Frequently Asked Questions
What is TMS?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS is an approved treatment for depression and more. It uses highly focused magnetic pulses that go through the skull and stimulate brain cells. It works in the same way that you charge your electric toothbrush or some cell phones. To stimulate or activate those brain cells, the pulses have to be “repeated” so it is sometimes called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS. The device used at Triskelion has an added feature. It is also “navigated” which means that the treatment is delivered to the correct place every time. This makes the treatment more precise.
What is Treatment Resistant Depression?
Major Depression is one of the most debilitating problems that clients face. It is a weight that drags you down and prevents you from living the life that you want to live. Although people often equate it with feeling sad, Major Depression is so much more complex. It can cause and result from chemical changes in your brain. Therapy and medications can change these chemicals back to normal, but sometimes they do not, or are not enough. When that happens, someone can develop Treatment Resistant Depression. By stimulating brain cells, as you can see in the photo below, TMS can reverse these processes and help people return to their healthy lives, and come back to balance.
How many treatments do I need and how long do they last?
A typical course of treatment is 30-36 treatments given 5 days a week over 5-6 weeks. Depending on your situation this could be 6, 19, or 37 minutes for the treatment sessions.
Is this like a new ECT?
No. ECT requires a person to undergo anesthesia, have someone drive you to treatment, and undergo a seizure. TMS stimulates brain cells, but does not involve a seizure, anesthesia, you can drive yourself, and return to your regular day right after treatment.
What does it feel like?
When you are receiving the treatment, you will hear a click as the magnetic pulses are delivered. It sounds similar to what you would hear in an MRI scanner, but you will also feel a tapping sensation on your head. Some people describe it as a “woodpecker” tapping. Most people get used to the sensation very quickly, and it becomes like “background noise.”