Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is constantly evolving as a mental health therapy and has been approved to treat a number of conditions, including depression and anxiety. According to the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 35% to 40% of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are considered treatment-resistant. TMS for treatment-resistant depression is a great way for patients to get a more holistic and effective approach to treatment. TMS offers long-term relief from the debilitating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions by utilizing magnetic pulses rather than prescription drugs that often cause side effects.

TMS is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for depression treatment and often is a great alternative to prescriptions for patients who experience common side effects and persistent symptoms. Treatment-resistant depression (also referred to as TRD) is described by Mayo Clinic as depression where standard treatments make little impact on a patient’s symptoms. They state, “ [Standard treatments] may not help much at all, or your symptoms may improve, only to keep coming back.”

TMS therapy treatment courses can last roughly 7 weeks long, however, each patient’s needs are different so treatment plans do vary. Studies have shown that roughly 50% to 60% of treatment-resistant depression patients will achieve clinical remission (with very low or absent symptom severity). The remaining percentage of patients, identified as “responders,” showed symptom severity reduction by at least 50%.