Pros and Cons of TMS Therapy

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of TMS therapy to help decide if it's right for you.

Understanding TMS Therapy

TMS therapy is a relatively new treatment option for various mental health conditions. While there are many pros to this type of treatment, individuals should consider some potential cons. Here we’ll look at both the pros and cons of TMS therapy. If you’re considering this treatment option, it’s important to be aware of all the facts before deciding.

Before looking at the TMS pros and cons, it’s important to understand TMS treatment and how it works to help with various health conditions.

How TMS Therapy Works?

TMS Therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the areas of your brain responsible for mood, sleep, and movement control. These are called neurological pathways or networks which carry messages across different parts of our bodies.

Does TMS Therapy Really Work?

Many benefits of TMS therapy can help improve various health conditions over time, and it’s an effective treatment method for depression and other mental health conditions. However, this treatment method isn’t for everyone, so it’s essential to consider the TMS pros and cons before deciding.

TMS Therapy Pros

There are many TMS benefits since this form of therapy can effectively help various health conditions.

High Success Rate

TMS therapy is shown to have a high success rate for those suffering from depression disorders who have not responded to other types of treatment. However, further research is needed to determine how successful TMS therapy can be for other disorders such as OCD, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder, and more.¹

Non-Invasive

TMS therapy uses magnets that stimulate nerve cells deep inside your scalp with pinpoint accuracy while also delivering mild electrical currents, all without any surgery or invasiveness. This has led to many TMS therapy benefits, making it an easier treatment option for many people.

Effectiveness

The effectiveness of TMS therapy is high, and there have been many positive TMS therapy reviews from patients who have seen success from this treatment method. With TMS therapy, many people make significant progress in dealing with various conditions. Studies have shown that 50% of people even see complete remission of symptoms after completing an entire TMS therapy program.

No Medications Needed

Unlike traditional therapies, TMS therapy works without the use of medications. It’s an effective treatment that can be used on its own or combined with other treatments like cognitive behavior counseling for those who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.

Covered by Medicare

Another one of the TMS therapy benefits is that Medicare can cover qualifying conditions that have been diagnosed by a medical professional. Check with your Medicare guidelines to ensure that you can receive TMS therapy coverage for your health condition.²

Minimum Side Effects

When looking at the TMS pros and cons, TMS therapy has some side effects, but they’re very minimal and will typically subside after a short time. This makes TMS therapy an effective and safe treatment option.

TMS Therapy Cons

When looking at the transcranial magnetic stimulation pros and cons, there are some negative side effects of TMS therapy. Generally, side effects are minimal and will subside after a short period, but it’s good to be aware of them before pursuing treatment.

Time Commitment

When looking into the pros and cons of TMS therapy, you should consider the time commitment that it will require before pursuing treatment. TMS therapy programs typically last between four to six weeks and usually require you to go to a TMS treatment center five days a week for regular treatment sessions. Treatment sessions typically last between 30 – 40 minutes. This can be a big time commitment for some people who have busy schedules, so you should plan for it in advance.

Medicare Criteria Can be Strict

Although Medicare has expanded its coverage for TMS therapy, it can still be strict in what conditions it covers, and it requires that you’re diagnosed and recommended TMS therapy by a medical professional before covering it.

Mild Scalp Discomfort

One of the TMS therapy side effects is mild scalp discomfort. Usually, this discomfort only happens during the first handful of treatment sessions and will subside over time.

Low Risk of Seizure

Another one of the side effects of TMS therapy is there is a low risk of a seizure occurring. Approximately only 0.1% of people who received TMS treatment have experienced a seizure, so there is a very low risk of this occurring. TMS treatment providers do everything to keep you as safe and comfortable as possible during the treatment process, so this shouldn’t be a big concern.

Availability

When considering the pros and cons of TMS therapy, you should also consider the availability in your area. TMS therapy is a relatively new treatment method, so it isn’t widely available in every area across the U.S. just yet. Make sure to search for TMS treatment options near you to properly plan and see if it will be a feasible option based on availability.

Not Recommended for Everyone

TMS therapy is not recommended for everyone. Often, TMS treatment will be advised when traditional therapies or medications aren’t effective. You should talk to your doctor and treatment providers about the pros and cons of TMS therapy before deciding.

Negative Side Effects of TMS Therapy

When undergoing TMS therapy, there are negative side effects that could occur. Common side effects associated with this treatment method include:³

Feeling lightheaded
Headache
Scalp discomfort
Spasms or twitching of facial muscles
Tingling

Most side effects experienced are mild and will subside after a short period.

Can TMS Make You Worse?

In some rare cases, TMS treatment has made anxiety symptoms worse for certain individuals. However, this is a rare occurrence, and studies have shown that this is typically a very effective treatment method for anxiety and other mental health conditions.

TMS Therapy Programs at Iris Healing®

If you think TMS treatment may be a good option for you after looking over the pros and cons, Iris Healing® has TMS therapy programs that can help.

Iris Healing® provides evidence-based TMS therapy programs that can treat various conditions like depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and chronic pain. TMS care providers at Iris Healing® are knowledgeable experts who can make the treatment process as safe and effective as possible.

If you are interested and want to know more about TMS treatment at Iris Healing®, you can call us today at (844) 663 4747.

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Pros and Cons of TMS Therapy

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of TMS therapy to help decide if it's right for you.

Article Contents

Understanding TMS Therapy

How TMS Therapy Works?

Does TMS Therapy Really Work?

TMS Therapy Pros

High Success Rate

Non-Invasive

Effectiveness

No Medications Needed

Covered by Medicare

Minimum Side Effects

TMS Therapy Cons

Time Commitment

Medicare Criteria Can be Strict

Mild Scalp Discomfort

Low Risk of Seizure

Availability

Not Recommended for Everyone

Negative Side Effects of TMS Therapy

Can TMS Make You Worse?

TMS Therapy Programs at Iris Healing®

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