Many people can find relief from the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using prescription medications and talk therapy. However, up to 40 percent of patients find these treatments ineffective, or the medications cause too many intolerable side effects. Multiple studies have shown how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can help treat OCD, especially when other forms of treatment are not adequate.
NeuroStar TMS therapy for OCD in New Jersey can offer relief with very few side effects. For the past 15 years, the TMS Center of New Jersey has been at the forefront of TMS therapy. Our medical director, Dr. David Sikowitz, and staff are dedicated to using TMS for all neuropsychiatric disorders that can help.
TMS therapy is a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic waves to stimulate and reawaken specific areas in the brain. These areas control everything from moods to voluntary movement. When certain areas do not function as they should, you may experience symptoms of OCD. By gently stimulating the affected areas with magnetic waves, we can restore normal functioning in those regions.
The NeuroStar TMS treatment device contains special magnetic coils. Its unique design targets magnetic energy at the regions of your brain that need treatment. Quick magnetic pulses create tiny electrical currents in the treated area, restoring function to the nonfunctional synapses.
NeuroStar TMS therapy for OCD is easy and effective. You will come to our New Jersey office five days a week over seven weeks, for a course of 36 sessions. The treatment sessions are only 19 minutes. Most patients can find enough time in their busy schedules to fit these in. While we do not want you to miss multiple sessions in a row, when you must skip a day, your results will not diminish.
We may ask you to expose yourself to circumstances that trigger your OCD right before a session to help prime the treatment areas. This helps the TMS therapy to work better. During the treatment, you will be seated comfortably. You will be wide awake during the entire therapy session and will not need anesthesia.
Your treatment specialist will place the NeuroStar device’s coil on the specific area of your head to be treated. While it is working, you may experience a tapping sensation on your head. If you have had an MRI, you may remember how that magnet-based diagnostic system makes loud clicking noises as it scans.
Once your session is complete, you may return to your routine activities, including work, driving, and caring for your family. Side effects are usually mild and tend to decrease as you continue therapy. Mild discomfort can occur in the treated areas, which can be treated with over-the-counter pain medications.
It is difficult to predict how long the positive effects of TMS therapy for OCD in New Jersey will last for you, but research currently shows that many patients have at least three months of substantial relief from their symptoms. Most patients continue other therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or prescription medications, while receiving TMS treatments. Continuing CBT and medications will help extend the time between courses of TMS therapy, which can be repeated as needed.
If you are not satisfied with your current treatments for OCD, make an appointment to discuss NeuroStar TMS therapy for OCD in New Jersey. It is easy to add TMS to your other treatments. There is no reason to continue to suffer with your symptoms when an effective, painless treatment option is available.
