TMS Therapy Specialist
Sydea Medical Practice
Psychiatrist & Addiction Psychiatrist located in Newport Beach, CA
Up to a third of the 16.1 million Americans who have depression have treatment-resistant depression, which means that conventional pharmaceutical treatments don’t relieve your symptoms. Venice Sanchez, MD, offers cutting-edge transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy using BrainsWay® equipment at her practice in Newport Beach, California. TMS therapy is an alternative if you have treatment-resistant depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking cessation and other psychiatric conditions. Call Dr. Sanchez today or schedule a consultation online to find out if TMS therapy is right for you.
TMS Therapy Q&A
What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy?
TMS therapy is an innovative, noninvasive treatment that uses a pulsed magnetic wave to target specific regions in your brain. The pulse changes your brain activity and can relieve mental health symptoms.
Dr. Sanchez uses the state-of-the-art BrainsWay TMS equipment to help patients who haven’t found relief from medication.
What conditions improve with TMS therapy?
The BrainsWay TMS equipment is FDA-cleared to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and smoking addiction.
In some cases, TMS therapy isn’t officially cleared for other conditions but may also be used for bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia.
Am I a good candidate for TMS therapy?
Dr. Sanchez provides thorough consultations to determine if TMS is right for you. While she considers each case individually, there are a few guidelines to identify candidates, including:
- Being in the midst of a depressive episode
- Having tried at least two different antidepressants
- Having tried psychotherapy
TMS therapy is not suitable if you’re pregnant or nursing, have a seizure disorder, or have any metal plates or implants. You may also be ineligible if you have suicidal ideations, psychotic symptoms, or substance abuse disorder.
What happens during TMS therapy?
Patients have five 20-minute treatments a week for 4-6 weeks. During your treatment, Dr. Sanchez places the BrainsWay helmet on your head, carefully placing the H-coil near the targeted region.
During the treatment, you may hear or feel a tapping sensation. However, TMS therapy is painless and doesn’t typically cause any lasting side effects. You can even drive yourself to and from your appointments.
What are the benefits of TMS therapy?
TMS therapy offers an alternative if you have treatment-resistant depression. Living with depression and other severe mental health conditions is challenging enough. When conventional treatments don’t work, it can make you feel much worse.
In clinical trials, TMS therapy provides relief for patients who haven’t found it with other treatments. The treatment is noninvasive, painless, and doesn’t cause side effects.
If you’re interested in TMS therapy, call Venice Sanchez, MD, or make an appointment online to find out if it’s right for you.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Sanchez's TMS practice please click the link below.