ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WUSA) -- Imagine depression so debilitating and long-lasting, it literally shuts down a person's life, ruining relationships with family and friends. Now imagine, talking to one specialist after another, trying one pill after another... and nothing helps. Those are the types of people who say they're being rescued, some from the brink of suicide, by TMS.
Alexandria psychiatrist David Charney explains Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation this way: "TMS is a treatment that uses magnetic pulses to deliver energy to the brain right at the surface. The magnetic pulse wakes up circuits in the brain that connect with the mood regulatory system. TMS revives certain circuits that have gone sleeping."
The smile on Greg Hutchinson's face says it all. Playing pool is his passion; and he's gotten back his zest for the game- and life in general- thanks to transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Dr. Charney is the first in Northern Virginia to offer TMS. He says a small magnetic coil on the scalp targets the part of the brain's cortex that controls mood. There is no anesthesia necessary, and the patient is awake and alert for each 40 minute session.
Greg Hutchinson is one of the success stories. He has suffered from depression and anxiety disorders for the past ten years. Hutchinson says he tried a succession of anti-depressant medications with little success. Four years ago, he suffered a nervous breakdown.
Finally, two high school friends referred him to Dr. Charney, and he began the series of TMS treatments.
"The first couple of days, it took a bit to get adjusted to, but after just a couple days, I really enjoyed it. I mean, I was looking forward to coming here. It was a relief that, first of all, somebody cared. And the treatment I was getting was something state-of-the-art."
Three weeks into the sessions, Hutchinson felt his spirits lifting and energy return for the first time in years. He now plays pool with a passion and has entered several tournaments.
"It helped tremendously. I have hope now. I can't see into the future but I'm doing much better than without the treatments," he says.
Dr. Charney says he his not alone. "I've seen downright dramatic improvements in people who for many years who were 'stuck' and unable to get going, even with our most advanced medication. And TMS has been the thing that tipped over the system inside their brain to the final brink of recovery," says Dr. Charney.
There are two major downsides to TMS: cost and time-commitment. Each session runs $400, and 20 to 30 sessions are recommended. Dr. Charney says some of the cost goes to cover disposable parts of the device that must be replaced after each session.
He says TMS is no longer considered experimental by the American Psychiatric Association, and NIH trials have proven it works. As a result, some insurance companies are beginning to cover the cost, but many do not.
TMS of Northern Virginia
(703) 836-7130