Weeks
Treatments / week
Sessions
Minutes / session
If you're interested in finding out whether TMS therapy is right for you, or If you'd like to start off treatment please fill out our FREE TMS screening form. OR CALL US.
During this initial screening, we will gather some basic information and ask about your health insurance coverage, as well as answer any queries you may have about undergoing TMS therapy. Once we've contacted your health insurance provider, we will reach out to you again to discuss insurance coverage / payment options.
This consultation is to know you, your symptoms, and your medical history to determine if TMS therapy is the best treatment option for you, and to explain aspects of TMS treatment process.
You are ready to move forward with treatment process if the psychiatrist has determined that you are a candidate for TMS therapy. After this appointment, we will submit a pre-authorization to your insurance company and coordinate your health insurance coverage.
These evaluations help make sure that TMS is safe and a good option for you.
The first step for successful TMS treatment is effective mapping of the patient's brain to determine which point on the head should receive stimulation. During the mapping session, the technician will place an electromagnetic coil (TMS device) against your head and switched off and on repeatedly to produce stimulating pulses and register the brain's response until the optimal point is identified. This results in a tapping or clicking sound that usually lasts for a few seconds, followed by a pause. You'll also feel a tapping sensation on your forehead.
The technician will also determine the best dose of magnetic energy for you by increasing the magnetic dose until your fingers or hands twitch. This is called motor threshold, and varies from individual to individual. Measuring the motor threshold helps in personalizing the treatment settings and determine the amount of energy required to stimulate brain cells. Treatment will be commenced once the coil placement and dose are identified.
Your first appointment will take approximately 1 to 1.5 hours, and includes both the mapping process and the first TMS treatment.
You're seated during each treatment session, in a comfortable treatment chair, with the TMS device placed against your head. You'll remain awake and alert during the treatment session. We invite you to relax, while the TMS therapy device delivers magnetic pulses to regions of the brain implicated in mood regulation. You may feel some scalp discomfort during the treatment and for a short time afterward.
After mapping, subsequent treatment sessions last about 20 minutes. The TMS technician will always be present to monitor you during the treatment. For optimal outcomes, it is necessary to attend all treatment sessions.
Motor threshold is not checked at every treatment session. However, if determined necessary at any point during the course of treatment, the TMS technician may perform a re-mapping to improve treatment effectiveness depending on your symptoms and side effects.
