Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (deep TMS) is a cutting-edge technology used to treat various mental health conditions. We offer deep TMS in Malibu because it provides substantial relief for people suffering from depression or other mental health disorders.

Deep TMS is not electroshock therapy – it’s a completely noninvasive treatment that uses powerful magnetic impulses to regulate brain function with no poking, prodding, or zapping.

Deep TMS is an FDA-approved, medication-free option for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), smoking addiction, and anxious depression. This evidence-based treatment can provide relief from mental health symptoms, even for clients who haven’t in the past using antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications.

Learn More About Deep TMS in Malibu

Most mental health therapies approach treating symptoms indirectly; talk therapy can help people learn to manage the behavioral impacts of mental health symptoms, and pharmaceutical interventions can influence the brain’s neurochemistry. While these interventions can help alleviate symptoms, they fail to treat the root cause of mental health problems.

But Deep TMS goes deeper to restore brain function with targeted electrical impulses sent directly into regions associated with mental health issues. Deep TMS can create powerful and lasting changes that substantially reduce mental health symptoms, even for people who tried talk therapy and medications without relief.

Many clients find deep TMS appealing because it’s noninvasive, with no poking, prodding, or pills. Each session lasts only 20 minutes, most people report zero side effects, and many clients experience clinically significant results from just a few weeks of treatment.

Benefits of Deep TMS in Malibu

Depression and anxiety impact brain function, slowing down activity and causing physical and mental symptoms. Deep TMS uses powerful electromagnetic coils to target the affected brain regions and increase electrical activity, effectively regulating healthy brain function and reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Neurocircuitry of Mental Health

Lowered activity in specific regions of the brain can cause mental health conditions; for example, depression is associated with reduced activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain controls cognitive and executive functioning and is responsible for the following:

  • Manipulating working memory
  • Goal-directed action
  • Forming intentions
  • Abstract reasoning
  • Controlling your attention

Some studies have shown that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a significant role in a person’s emotional state. They have also found that people with lower activity in this brain region are more likely to experience intense depressive symptoms.

Alternative Depression Treatment: Kickstart Your Recovery

Most people with depression experience symptoms that further contribute to the disorder. Chronic fatigue, lack of motivation, irregular sleep hygiene, and a palpable feeling of hopelessness all compound together to trigger a barrage of mental and physical symptoms, creating a destructive cycle that feeds depression.

Someone with severe depression or anxiety might be fully aware of the steps they could take to feel better, like eating regular nutrient-dense meals, getting outside, prioritizing a sleep schedule, and engaging in mindful movement.

But depression can make it feel impossible to start (and sustain) healthy habits, and not being able to maintain “basic” self-care can deepen those already overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. Deep TMS can disrupt the cycle.

As an alternative depression treatment, deep TMS can essentially kickstart underactive brain regions. The boost of electrical activity can help people overcome the debilitating nature of depression and take their lives back into their own hands. Deep TMS helps clients initiate more supportive habits and create healthier patterns.

When we have a greater capacity to care for ourselves, we can create more resiliency and fight off those feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Deep TMS can trigger a snowball effect – the more symptoms improve, the more energy we have to take care of ourselves.

Sustained Recovery with Deep TMS

Deep TMS can substantially improve the symptoms of various mental health disorders for most people, and each treatment session lasts no more than 20 minutes.

Deep TMS is more than just a temporary relief – the effects can last for months or years, and many people find complete remission from chronic mental health symptoms after completing treatment.

Just a few sessions of deep TMS in Malibu can help people break a depressive cycle, even if they’ve dealt with debilitating symptoms for months or years.

How Effective Is Deep TMS?

Most data regarding the effectiveness of deep TMS focuses on outcomes for clients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder; these clients have already tried several other conventional therapies and treatments, often with no relief. In a 2015 study, up to 60% of participants received meaningful benefits from deep TMS, and 33% of this group experienced complete remission.

In real-life clinical settings, deep TMS is even more effective; out of 1,000 clients with major depressive disorder, 75% achieved a clinical response, and 51% achieved remission.

In the coming years, as more research becomes available, we’ll update this page to include more data about deep TMS’s efficacy.

Is Deep TMS in Malibu Safe?

Deep TMS is safe and effective, and has been FDA-approved to treat major depressive disorder since 2008.

BrainsWay achieved FDA approval to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in 2017 and smoking addiction and anxious depression in 2020.

In addition, Plus by APN provides deep TMS in Malibu for off-label uses that show clinical promise but have not yet been cleared by the FDA, including:

  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Autism
  • Chronic Pain
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Post Stroke Rehabilitation

Deep TMS is CE-marked for these conditions, considered “off-label” applications in the US.

The research is constantly evolving, and we expect to see more approved uses in the future.

What to Expect from Deep TMS in Malibu

Deep TMS in Malibu happens across several distinct stages. Our providers will walk you through the entire process before you begin, including discussing any potential side effects, risks, and potential benefits of the treatment process.

Intake and Preparation

The first step of deep TMS treatment is intake. When you reach out to our contact team, they’ll get to know your history and send your information to our deep TMS team.

You will receive a call from a Deep TMS team member to assess your story and discuss treatment options. We’ll also run your insurance benefits, discuss payment, and take steps to see if you are qualified.

Before your first session, a director or tech will meet with you for about 60-90 minutes to go over details, assess you further, discuss expectations, and map your brain.

TMS Sessions

For each subsequent appointment, you’ll arrive at our location, take a seat in a comfortable chair, and pop on the cushioned helmet for about 20 minutes.

While some clients experience a brief headache that resolves after treatment, the treatment itself is not painful, and we’ll be with you through each step to ensure your comfort.

During treatment, you may feel a tapping sensation on your forehead and hear loud clicking noises coming from within the helmet as the coil’s magnetic pulses activate different parts of the brain.

You’ll be alert and awake for the entire treatment session. After your session, you are free to go about your everyday life as normal with no downtime required.

Treatment Plans

Your specific treatment plan will depend on your diagnosis, goals, and how you respond to your first session. Most clients can expect daily sessions over five to seven weeks, with noticeable effects after about four weeks.

Mental Health Treatment Options: Deep TMS in Malibu

All Points North has always championed the most innovative and cutting-edge technologies to help people overcome mental health challenges. We provide deep TMS in Malibu at Plus by APN in addition to our other interventional psychiatry and neurotechnology offerings. Deep TMS is just one of several tools we use to address the root cause of symptoms and support whole-person health.

To learn more about deep TMS in Malibu or our other mental health and addiction treatment options, fill out our confidential online contact form, call 855.235.9792, or start a conversation using the live chat function on our website.

Reference

  • Levkovitz, Yechiel et al. “Efficacy and safety of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression: a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial.” World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) vol. 14,1 (2015): 64-73. doi:10.1002/wps.20199
  • Rodrigues, Priscila Aparecida et al. “Transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of anxiety disorder.” Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment vol. 15 2743-2761. 23 Sep. 2019, doi:10.2147/NDT.S201407
  • Cohen, Samantha L et al. “A visual and narrative timeline of US FDA milestones for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) devices.” Brain stimulation vol. 15,1 (2022): 73-75. doi:10.1016/j.brs.2021.11.010