Types of therapy
At Paracelsus Recovery, our clients benefit from the most state-of-the-art therapies as part of our treatment programmes. One such therapy is Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS). The aim of rTMS is to modulate brain activity in order to improve mental health, neurological function, and pain management.
What is rTMS?
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy used to treat various health conditions, including mental health and addiction issues. Using electromagnetic pulses, rTMS modulates brain activity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which is linked to mood regulation, decision-making, and impulse control. These magnetic pulses stimulate neurons, triggering a change in their firing pattern within the brain and impacting the functioning of the brain circuits involved as a result. While there is still some lack of clarity surrounding why TMS works, it is this stimulated change in brain activity that is thought to be the mechanism through which treatment occurs. For example, in the case of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), for example, it would stimulate underactive areas in the brain to help to change dysfunctional brain patterns and therefore regulate mood.
During rTMS therapy, a coil is placed on your scalp, which delivers repeated magnetic pulses to specific brain regions. These pulses can either increase or decrease brain activity in targeted regions, depending on the frequency used. Treatments are typically administered in daily sessions lasting 20–40 minutes over several weeks. Repetitive TMS is generally well-tolerated with minimal side effects to treatment. Where there are side effects, this is most commonly a mild headache or scalp discomfort. In some cases, ‘deep’ TMS, which uses a cool that stimulates deeper and wider areas of the brain, is used instead of regular rTMS. Such an approach is used to treat certain conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and nicotine addiction.
What is rTMS helpful for?
The benefits of rTMS make it a suitable therapy for treating a variety of conditions. The effects tend to be long-lasting, with many patients experiencing lasting improvements in mood, cognition, and behaviour after a full treatment course. Such effects have the potential to last months or even years, with occasional maintenance sessions. Due to such benefits, repetitive TMS is used to treat mental health conditions, neurological disorders, chronic pain, and addictions. It is particularly useful in cases where standard treatments such as medicines and psychotherapy haven’t worked such as with treatment-resistant-depression (TRD), migraines or nicotine addiction after unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking.
Alongside depression, rTMS is also helpful in treating various mental health conditions, such as anxiety, PTSD, and OCD. For example, rTMS can reduce symptoms of anxiety and PTSD by influencing brain circuits involved in fear and stress responses. In the case of OCD, it can help modulate dysfunctional circuits in obsessive-compulsive disorder. When it comes to addiction recovery, rTMS helps reduce cravings for substances like alcohol, and opioids. It can also improve impulse control by enhancing self-regulation and decision-making, which are often impaired in addiction. The capacity for neural rewiring (neuroplasticity) made possible by targeting reward pathways means rTMS can help recondition the brain’s response to addictive triggers. Alongside enhancing neuroplasticity, rTMS can improve communication between brain regions, cognitive function, memory, attention and problem-solving skills. As a result, it can be a suitable treatment for conditions like Alzheimer’s, brain injuries as well as to treat cognitive decline in general. As a result of such benefits and the promise that rTMS continues to show, it is increasingly being integrated into mental health and addiction recovery programmes as well as chronic condition treatment, offering hope to individuals struggling with treatment-resistant conditions.
How is rTMS included in my programme?
At Paracelsus Recovery, rTMS will be included in your treatment programme when the experts guiding your treatment believe it will facilitate your recovery. While rTMS is suitable for most people, it may not be suitable in the case of certain conditions. For example, if you are pregnant, have a history of epilepsy or other seizure disorder, or have abused drugs in recent months. To determine the suitability of rTMS in your individual case, the team looking after you will carry out extensive testing to get a holistic picture of your health and well-being. Such testing will also uncover the length and duration of treatment, should it be deemed suitable.
In all cases, rTMS treatment is included in your programme alongside various other therapies to create a holistic path to recovery. Repetitive TMS is not a standalone treatment solution for any of the conditions we treat and is always offered as a complement to our main therapies such as psychotherapy and nutritional therapy. In practical terms, rTMS therapy sessions take place in our purpose-built therapy rooms or in the comfort of your private apartment. For the duration of the procedure, you will be sitting in a comfortable reclining chair and you remain awake; no medication or anesthesia is required. The entire process will be facilitated by members of our dedicated team of experts.
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