How Does Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy Help with Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders affecting nearly a third of the United States population. A San Diego anxiety treatment clinic uses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy to treat anxiety.

How Does Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy Work?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation involves directing recurring magnetic energy pulses at the particular regions of the brain that are responsible for controlling a person's mood. It is a non-invasive treatment approved by the FDA.

The magnetic energy pulses pass through the skull and stimulate brain cells so as to improve communication between different parts of the brain. It is an absolutely painless procedure.

The magnetic stimulation has a lasting effect on energy in the brain and helps with mental health disorders including depression and anxiety. It is not conclusively vivid how TMS works but the results are undeniable.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy has grown tremendously in the past decade within the behavioral health community as an alte ative to medication for mental health disorders.

When Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy treatment is customized for a particular patient, it is referred to as Personalized Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (PrTMS).

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. Someone with depression is probably suffering from some form of anxiety and vice versa.

Both conditions have been shown to be caused by dysregulation of the circuitry in the brain. Therefore, by using magnetic energy to stimulate the brain and repair the damaged circuits, Personalized Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (PrTMS) is effective in alleviating anxiety.

The areas of the brain that are responsible for mood regulation can be underactive which can be seen using functional imaging. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation restores these areas to their optimal functioning levels.

Anxiety can also be caused by the misfiring of the electrochemical signals in the brain which is what leads to the excessive worry and fear seen in anxiety patients. These hyperactive areas can be slowed down by repetitive magnetic energy pulses so that their activity is reduced and anxiety levels lowered.

What to Expect During PrTMS

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation involves a short, non-invasive outpatient procedure. You will be awake and alert throughout the entire procedure.

The therapy is only directed at certain areas of your brain so no other part of your body is affected by the treatment. The same cannot be said for many anxiety medications used today.

Treatment consists of about five sessions each week for about six to eight weeks. The sessions only take about half an hour so no downtime from your daily routine is required.

Your progress will be monitored by mapping brainwave activity every week using an electroencephalogram (EEG). The results will determine the intensity of subsequent TMS treatments.

Is TMS Effective in Treating Anxiety?

TMS has been shown to be effective in treating medication-resistant anxiety. In about thirty percent of the cases, there was a complete eradication of anxiety symptoms.

Positive results of TMS last for about a year after treatment. Therefore, it is not a conclusive treatment for anxiety and there is more to be done when treating anxiety.