Discover Lasting Relief for Depression with rTMS at BrainCare Carlsbad
rTMS can treat:
- Depression
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
- Combined Anxiety and Depression
- PTSD with Depression
rTMS for Depression is covered by most insurance. We work with Tricare, Tricare Select, Tricare Prime, and TriWest for full coverage.
Learn More about rTMS for Depression Treatment
Talk to our New Patient Coordinator. She can answer your questions and explain all the details.
Struggling to Escape the Storm Inside? Discover a Ray of Hope with rTMS for Depression.
rTMS stands for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. This non-invasive procedure uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain that regulate moods. It’s highly effective in treating depression, even in people who haven’t responded to other treatments.
It is a non-invasive, outpatient procedure. The treatment involves a small coil held against the head, and painless magnetic pulses are sent to the targeted area of the brain. rTMS is a well-tolerated and safe depression treatment option that is FDA-approved. It does not require any medications, anesthesia, or surgery.
We personalize your treatment even more with EEG-guided rTMS, making it that much more tailored to your exact brainwaves and, thus, even more effective.
This may sound too good to be true, but keep reading. Treatment with rTMS could be the ray of hope that cuts through the storm and changes your life.
How does rTMS Work to Treat Depression?
rTMS works by using a magnetic coil to generate a gentle magnetic field that passes through the scalp and skull and stimulates nerve cells in the brain. The magnetic field is pulsed, which means it turns on and off rapidly. The frequency of the pulses determines the type of effect that rTMS has on the brain. We follow the FDA-approved guidelines for rTMS.
The magnetic waves stimulate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region of the brain involved in mood regulation, which releases neurotransmitters that improve mood and reduce depression symptoms.
Treating depression with rTMS affects the brain’s neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change and adapt by “rewiring” its circuitry.
Treatment involves half-hour daily sessions over several weeks and patients can resume their normal activities after each session. This treatment is not painful. Some people may experience a mild tingling sensation or a feeling of warmth on the scalp during treatment. However, these sensations are usually mild and go away quickly.
This non-invasive outpatient procedure involves five sessions per week for four to six weeks. A typical session lasts from 30 to 40 minutes, after which you’re free to go about the rest of your day.
The Star-D Study on Antidepressants published in 2006 revealed that as individuals progress from one to four different antidepressants, the chances of achieving remission for depression decline from 27.5% with the first-line medication to 6.9% with the fourth-line medication.
rTMS is a safe, well-tolerated, FDA-approved therapy with few side effects — far fewer than those of antidepressants. Plus, rTMS for depression is covered by most insurance.
For more information about rTMS, watch this video
The Steps of rTMS Treatment at BrainCare Carlsbad
Your first step is to call our New Patient Coordinator. She can answer your questions about the treatment, protocols, cost, insurance, and more. Once you decide to move forward, we will set up your first two appointments for testing and consultation. Each of these appointments will last 45 minutes to an hour. After that, you’ll begin your rTMS treatment.
Testing
On your first appointment, we perform a qEEG, also called brain mapping, to give us a precise picture of what’s happening in your brain.
We also perform an EKG to record the heart’s electrical signals and measure the brain/heart coherence.
Once we complete the tests, our team will carefully analyze the results. Based on this analysis, we develop your treatment plan.
Consultation
Your second appointment is a one-on-one consultation with the doctor. You can do this either in person or virtually from the comfort of your home.
During this consultation, we will discuss your test results and treatment protocols, answer questions, and let you know more about what to expect during treatment.
Once you decide to move forward, we will schedule four weeks of treatment.
Treatment
We perform rTMS treatments daily, Monday to Friday, and a typical treatment session takes about 30-40 minutes.
Your doctor will manage your progress closely. We will also perform additional qEEGs during treatment to ensure you’re receiving the most effective treatment parameters.
At the end of the treatment period, which normally lasts from 4 to 6 weeks, we will perform another qEEG to review progress.
Talk to our New Patient Coordinator
She can answer your questions and explain the details.
Or fill out the Contact Form below.
Benefits of rTMS Treatment
- rTMS is FDA-approved for depression, and it may also help with other conditions combined with depression, such as PTSD and depression or anxiety and depression.
- Treatment is easily tolerated, safe, and does not adversely affect cognitive function like some medications.
- TMS has an approximately 70-80% success rate, compared to 27.5% with the first depression medication and declining to 6.9% by the fourth medication.
- About half of those completing TMS treatment will achieve total remission.
- We can use TMS as a standalone treatment or along with medications.
- This is an outpatient treatment, so it’s fast and convenient.
- It’s not electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
- TMS gets long-term results – at least 24 months of relief for up to 90% of patients (but 35% of those patients may need maintenance TMS).
- As TMS is medication-free, it’s an alternative to antidepressants.
- Treatment requires no anesthesia or drugs.
- TMS has no systemic side effects.
- Studies show that children as young as 12 tolerate TMS therapy just as well as adults, with no side effects.
No matter the symptoms, there is hope for your depression. EEG-guided rTMS is more personalized to your brainwaves. By improving brain communication, we can achieve significant improvement.
Talk to our New Patient Coordinator
She can answer your questions and explain the details.
Or fill out the Contact Form below.
If you are feeling suicidal, please call 911. You can also call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by simply dialing 988.
Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder
Depression, also called Clinical Depression or Major Depressive Disorder, can have a range of symptoms with varying degrees of severity. These can include:
- Loss of interest in activities and relationships
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
- Loss of sex drive
- Insomnia, or sleeping too much
- Emotional outbursts, even over insignificant matters
- Chronic mental and/or physical exhaustion
- Changes in appetite
- Increased anxiety
- Agitation or restlessness
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Low self-esteem
- Short-term memory loss
- Inability to think straight
- Fixating or ruminating on failures or past events
- Physical symptoms such as back pain, neck pain, or headaches with no known cause
- Chronic feelings of unhappiness
- Feeling “numb”
- Feelings of isolation
- Thoughts of suicide
- Attempts at suicide or death by suicide
Tricare Insurance is now available for Patients Experiencing Depression
We are pleased to announce that we are accepting Tricare Insurance for patients experiencing Depression, and will do our best to make this a seamless process for you! For complete information, please visit our Tricare Insurance page.
We take all major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. You may also want to look into Care Credit as an option. Care Credit is a credit card that can be used to cover medical expenses and services, and they typically offer zero-interest financing for 12 months. When you apply at the Care Credit website, they will usually let you know promptly if approval has been granted.
Active or Retired Military? We’ve Got You Covered.
It is not uncommon for those who served to experience depression because of traumatic incidents they witnessed or were involved with. It’s also common to have other conditions simultaneously, such as PTSD and/or anxiety. Treatment with rTMS can help relieve the depression and many of the other symptoms that come along with these other conditions.
The TMS equipment to treat depression is FDA-approved, and TriCare approved coverage for depression treatment in 2016.
We will do our best to make this a seamless process for you! For complete information, please visit our TriCare Insurance page.
Questions About rTMS Treatment? Contact Our New Patient Coordinator.
We understand how difficult and concerning it can be to be dealing with depression symptoms. We also know that you may have many questions about rTMS treatment.
Before deciding about starting treatment, some simple steps will determine if you will benefit — some non-invasive diagnostics and a consultation with our doctor.
And before even that, a consultation with our New Patient Coordinator can help to better understand the various steps and how it all works.
She is here to answer all your questions and explain our protocols. She can also help schedule you should you decide to move forward with the initial testing and consultation.
Talk to our New Patient Coordinator
She can answer your questions and explain the details.
Or fill out the Contact Form below.
Contact Form
For more information or to speak with our New Patient Coordinator, please fill in the information below.