What is TMS therapy?
TMS therapy is a noninvasive treatment that employs electromagnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in order to alleviate the symptoms of neurological or mental disorders. A patient does not need to stay overnight for treatment because it is performed as an outpatient procedure.
How TMS therapy works
I recently accompanied a good friend to a TMS near me for TMS therapy for anxiety and was absolutely amazed by how the treatment is performed. A TMS technician carried out the therapy.
My friend was required to remove items such as jewelry that were sensitive to magnets prior to the procedure. She then instructed the patient to wear earplugs to reduce the clicking sound of the magnetic pulses. The patient was then led to a comfortable chair, and no general anesthesia was required.
Because this was my friend's first TMS therapy session, the technician measured her head to determine where the magnetic coil should be placed. Other measurements were taken to help personalize the TMS machine settings.
The 45-minute treatment began after the technician placed the coil above my friend's frontal lobe of the brain. My friend reported hearing a clicking sound as the magnetic pulses were released during the treatment. She also noticed a tapping or knocking sound beneath the magnetic coil. Throughout the treatment, my friend remained awake.
After the treatment, she drove the car to her home, where we had a quick chat over a snack before driving off to resume our normal work activities.
How TMS therapy helps with anxiety
Seeing my friend go through TMS treatment inspired me to learn more about how TMS therapy can help with anxiety disorders. Cell activity in the prefrontal cortex is often increased in anxious people.
TMS directs magnetic fields at the anxious cellular architecture. Anxiety disorders are generally caused by excessive or excessive stimulation of the part of the brain that underpins our fight-or-flight response. This is the area of the brain that regulates fear.
Unfortunately, the amygdala, which controls our fight-or-flight response, also works with and communicates with other structures in the brain that control and store our emotional memories. These memories include a variety of terrifying events and scenarios from our lives.
Over time, the overactive amygdala causes anxiety to attach to completely harmless situations, thoughts, and even memories. Although these things can be dangerous to someone suffering from anxiety, their neural pathway is primed and ready to go. As a result, the brain creates its own fear out of thin air, causing a person suffering from anxiety to experience fight-or-flight responses in their neurochemistry for no apparent reason.
TMS therapy addresses this issue by using concentrated magnetic fields to target the areas of the brain responsible for it. Scientists can manipulate the amount of neural activity that occurs in different parts of the brain using magnetic fields because of the underlying connection between magnetism and electricity.
TMS for anxiety works by targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the brain, which can increase or decrease the amount of activity in and around the amygdala.
TMS treatment for anxiety can help patients regulate their stress and anxiety by increasing other neural activity in the brain or decreasing activity in the amygdala.
This treatment, like TMS for depression, makes the amygdala less sensitive, making the hypothalamus less likely to detect a fight-or-flight situation. This means that the hypothalamus becomes less likely to release the hormones that cause stress and anxiety.
Find out if TMS treatment for anxiety is right for you!
Roots TMS can help you to know whether TMS therapy for anxiety is right for you. You can reach them by calling them at 562-268-5813.
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