This article will address questions like “How long does TMS treatment last” giving a more comprehensive understanding of the duration and effect of TMS treatment. This will help you make an informed decision and set realistic expectations regarding your TMS therapy’s potential benefits and maintenance.
TMS therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, is a new form of FDA-approved treatment for several conditions. It uses the naturally occurring electric field in the brain to send magnetic impulses into the brain and connect with deeper neurons. This deep penetration can stimulate neurons that might not be functioning properly.
TMS can be used effectively on:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- OCD
- Trauma
- Addiction
Breaking Down TMS Therapy Duration
Several factors can influence the length of individual sessions and overall treatment, including:
- What condition are you trying to treat
- How severe your symptoms are
- Whether you are seeking treatment for co-occurring disorders like depression and anxiety
- What other treatment or therapy are you receiving
- Your treatment goals
When you work with a professional clinic, much the same as any other form of therapy, you can decide on what your goals are, have an assessment of the severity of your condition, and start a personalized treatment program that involves customized requirements for the number of sessions you receive in total, how long the sessions last, and how often you receive your sessions.
How Long Does TMS Treatment Last Each Session?
Sessions for TMS therapy can range in time but are usually relatively short, between 20 minutes and 30 minutes. This is highly individualized, and you might prefer shorter than longer sessions or vice versa.
Given that the sessions are outpatient and don’t require any sedation or invasive procedures, you can work them into your schedule anytime you have an opening, and you don’t have to worry about finding a ride, getting over the effects of anesthesia, or otherwise interrupting your day.
TMS Therapy: How Long Does It Last Before I Am Done?
One of the biggest questions people have is, “How long does TMS therapy last” because they want to know how quickly they can get results.
While the individual sessions for TMS therapy are relatively short, in most cases, you must complete several sessions before seeing any changes. For things like anxiety and depression, you’ll likely need to complete at least five sessions before you start to see changes.
But starting to see changes is not the same as achieving the desired results. Much like with individual or group therapy, it can take several weeks or months to achieve actionable goals in managing your mental health condition.
- It’s common to receive between 30 and 40 sessions to treat mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.
- You might start with several sessions per week and taper as you progress.
- You’ll work with the professionals at your clinical facility and any other mental health professionals from whom you receive treatment to decide whether a given treatment plan has been sufficient or whether you want to continue.
How Does The Severity Of The Condition Impact The Length Of Treatment?
With certain mental health conditions, the cause can be linked to improper blood flow in certain regions of the brain or poor neural connectivity. TMS therapy can be used to stimulate those areas and help encourage blood flow and better connection, which by extension, helps the brain perform more effectively and reduce symptoms of certain mental health conditions.
If you have a more severe condition, you might wonder, “How long does TMS last.” The length of your treatment program will likely be extended because you will need more stimulation to target all of the regions contributing to the severity of your symptoms.
Read more about how long TMS therapy lasts here.