What Does TMS Improve?
Depression can be debilitating, impacting our daily routines and making life unmanageable. Individuals grappling with depression often exhaust numerous treatment avenues, including medication, only to find them ineffective. If you find yourself in this situation, where nothing seems to alleviate your symptoms and restore the quality of life you once enjoyed, TMS transcranial magnetic stimulation might be an alternative worth exploring. This approach has proven transformative for many patients, offering not just relief from depressive symptoms but also enhancing their overall quality of life. So, you might wonder, “What does TMS improve?”
At the Integrative Healthcare Center, we provide superior psychiatry services and wellness therapies in Nashua, New Hampshire. We understand that depression is more than a mental health disorder – it’s a pervasive ailment that can impair multiple aspects of an individual’s life, thereby deteriorating their overall quality of life. Depression can disrupt sleep patterns, cognitive function, and daily activities, areas which traditional treatments like medication often fail to improve.
Fortunately, alternatives like TMS exist. These not only mitigate the symptoms of depression but also significantly enhance the life quality of individuals with severe depression by improving their overall well-being and mental health. In this blog from the Integrative Healthcare Center, we will delve into the specific quality of life improvements with TMS and why this treatment is so potent for those wrestling with depression who haven’t found a promising solution in other therapy forms.
Understanding Depression and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Depression is not just limited to deep sadness; it is a condition that arises from a chemical imbalance in the brain, often hindering the ability to carry out daily tasks. As per the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is a condition that persists for a minimum of two weeks. During this time, the person feels sad, experiencing a lack of interest or enjoyment in their daily activities, and most likely exhibits symptoms such as sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, energy depletion, concentration issues, and low self-esteem.
Approximately 9% of adults in the United States grapple with depression. To combat this complex issue, mental health and medical experts have devised various treatment methodologies, including psychotherapies, medication, and relaxation techniques. However, the National Institutes of Health indicates that antidepressant drugs do not yield improvement in approximately 10% to 30% of patients suffering from major depression. These individuals continue to demonstrate functional impairment, poor quality of life, unhealthy behaviors, and a high relapse rate.
In 1985, researchers introduced TMS therapy as an alternative strategy to assuage depression. This therapy is an FDA-approved, noninvasive treatment that employs magnetic fields to stimulate specific brain areas associated with mood regulation and depression. Unlike medication, TMS is known for its mild side effects and high efficacy rate. It contributes significantly to quality of life improvements, encompassing better sleep, enhanced cognitive function, and increased energy levels, facilitating the completion of daily tasks.
Exploring Quality of Life Improvements with TMS
Numerous research studies have delved into the benefits of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. One such study, conducted by the Brain Stimulation Journal, examined the impact of the treatment on the quality of life of individuals resistant to conventional depression therapies. In this clinical trial, patients who underwent deep TMS reported a marked improvement in their quality of life, as indicated by responses on the Q-LES-Q. Furthermore, researchers observed this enhancement in quality of life to be sustained even 16 weeks post-treatment.
The Q-LES-Q, or Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, is a comprehensive questionnaire encompassing various aspects of daily life, including enjoyment derived from activities, social relationships, job satisfaction, health, and other elements integral to overall well-being.
Moreover, a separate study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information revealed that TMS treatment for three weeks significantly improved the functional status and quality of life of medication-resistant patients. These patients were monitored for 24 weeks to assess the longevity of TMS’s effects on their quality of life. To evaluate the general function and well-being, the researchers utilized two questionnaires – the Medical Outcomes Study-36 Item Short Form (SF-36) and the Q-LES-Q.
Beyond Depression Symptoms
While the primary objective of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is to mitigate the symptoms of depression, this therapy also confers potential benefits by enhancing patients’ quality of life. Many individuals who undergo long-term treatment with antidepressants grapple with side effects that affect their daily routines. As TMS is not a pharmacological intervention, its side effects are mild and seldom interfere with or restrict patients’ day-to-day lives, making it a considerably more accommodating treatment alternative.
Moreover, the magnetic fields directly stimulate neurons in the brain region responsible for mood regulation, thereby improving neural connectivity and positively impacting cognitive function, emotional resilience, concentration, memory, overall well-being, and creativity.
Finally, researchers have demonstrated that the magnetic fields effectively calm activity in the brain area that triggers insomnia, thus enhancing sleep quality. Improving sleep patterns is achieved by specifically targeting the brain circuits implicated in the disorder, as opposed to inundating the brain with chemicals, which is commonplace in pharmacological treatments for depression.
Integrative Healthcare Center and Quality of Life Improvements with TMS
In conclusion, TMS therapy extends beyond merely mitigating symptoms associated with depression. It also addresses other facets that influence the quality of life of individuals suffering from major depression, such as cognitive function, sleep quality, and overall well-being, that directly impact the success of daily activities.
Integrative Healthcare Center boasts a rich legacy of providing psychiatric and wellness services. Our patients undergoing TMS therapy have attested to its significant benefits. It not only alleviates depression symptoms but also positively influences their daily activities and overall well-being.
If conventional depression treatments have proved ineffective for you and you wish to embark on a journey towards recovery from depression—minus the side effects that could disrupt your daily life—please reach out to us at (855) 599-9987 or visit our website.