Depression is a common but serious illness, affecting over 14 million American adults every year. While everyone occasionally feels sad, when a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood and physical health, causing pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her.
The exact cause of depression isn’t known, but it likely results from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors. Research indicates that depressive illnesses are disorders of the brain. The parts of the brain responsible for regulating mood, thinking, sleep, appetite and behavior appear to function abnormally. In addition, important neurotransmitters — chemicals that brain cells use to communicate — appear to be out of balance.
Most people, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. It is crucial to first have a complete evaluation by a qualified physician to make sure that the symptoms are not caused by something else. Once the correct diagnosis is made, a person with depression can be treated with a number of methods. The most common treatments are medication and talk therapy. Although antidepressant medications can be effective, they do not work for everyone and there are often unwanted or even intolerable side effects.
There is a new treatment option for depression called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) that has been approved by the FDA for use in the United States. TMS does not involve any type of drugs or medication, is non-invasive and requires no anesthesia or sedation. It is an office-based treatment. There are no sexual side effects or weight gain. TMS was first introduced in the mid 1980’s and has been used in Canada since 2002. The Mayo Clinic has conducted studies involving TMS for nearly 10 years and was part of the trial that was used to gain FDA approval. TMS therapy is generally very well tolerated by patients.
TMS works by delivering focused magnetic stimulation directly to the area of the brain that is thought to be involved with regulating mood. These magnetic field pulses are the same strength as those used in MRI machines. During the therapy session, you are wide awake in a comfortable chair while a small curved device, which contains the magnetic coil, rests lightly on your head. As these magnetic fields move into the brain, they produce very small electrical currents. These electrical currents activate cells within the brain, which are thought to release neurotransmitters. It is believed that the symptoms of depression can be alleviated by increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters.
TMS therapy has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in treating major depressive disorder in adults who have not been able to achieve improvement from antidepressant medication. There are currently very few physicians that have the TMS equipment and are trained and qualified to deliver TMS therapy. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, TMS therapy could be the answer.
For more information about TMS Therapy, please contact Anjum Bashir, MD at 309-808-2326 or 217-422-0027. His office is located at 205 N. Williamsburg, Suite E in Bloomington. He is one of the few physicians in Central Illinois offering TMS Therapy for depression. TMS therapy is covered by most insurance companies including BC/BS, UBH and Medicare.
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