Do you know somebody who has failed to be benefited from prior treatment with antidepressant medications? There is nothing to lose hope. MDD is one of the most common mental ailments in the USA and affects almost 25 million Americans.
Many people suffering from Major Depressive Disorder or MDD fail to show improvement with antidepressant medication, and increased dosage can result in side effects and potential treatment failure. NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is beneficial for people who struggle with MDD. This therapy helps patients take control of their depression and lead a healthy personal and professional life.
What is NeuroStar Advanced Therapy?
The therapy is suggested for the treatment of MDD in adult patients who fail to show improvement with antidepressant medication. The therapy activates the natural function of the neurotransmitters of the brain using the non-invasive magnetic field and is not the electroconvulsive therapy.
How Does NeuroStar Advanced Therapy Work?
NeuroStar uses the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to target the brain area that is underactive in the people suffering from depression. It is not electroconvulsive therapy. Depression is caused by the imbalance of the neurotransmitters of the brain. The neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that send signals between the brain cells.
It stimulates the nerve cells of the brain by delivering a highly-focused MRI-strength magnetic field pulse that leads to the activation of deep brain structures and cortical known to regulate the mood. The magnetic pulse has a positive effect on the level of the brain neurotransmitters and makes long-term remission possible.
Is NeuroStar Advanced Therapy easy?
As compared to other MDD treatment options, the NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is relatively easy because of the following reasons:
1. The therapy sessions are conducted in the doctor’s office
2. The patient can return to their normal activities right away
3. The patient is awake during the whole NeuroStar Advanced Therapy
4. There is no effect on sleep or memory
Who should go for NeuroStar Advanced Therapy?
If the symptoms of depression affect your personal and professional life or if you switched the medicines of depression because they either failed to give the desired results or because of the side effects, then NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is the best option for treating MDD. For people who have not been benefitted from antidepressant medications, the NeuroStar Advanced Therapy offers hope.
What is the process of NeuroStar Advanced Therapy?
The process of NeuroStar Advanced Therapy can be divided into three phases:
1. Before treatment: The patient is made to recline comfortably in the treatment chair, and a small magnetic coil is positioned lightly on the head. This coil might hurt during the initial week, but with time, the patient stops feeling the pain or discomfort.
2. During treatment: The NeuroStar delivers the focused magnetic stimulation to the target areas of the brain directly. The patient hears a clicking sound and even feels a tapping sensation on the head.
3. After treatment: You can resume the normal activities immediately as there is no effect on alertness or memory. You can drive back to your home or office after the treatment it is that safe.
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy in-office treatment roughly takes 19-37 minutes and is administered every day for 4-6 weeks and is available by prescription.
What are the side effects of NeuroStar Advanced Therapy?
As NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is a non-drug treatment, most people don’t experience any side effects generally associated with antidepressant medications. One common side effect of the therapy is discomfort or pain near or on the treatment site. These effects are temporary and don’t occur for most of the people after the initial week of the treatment.
More than 1.6 million people with MDD have been treated using this therapy, which further proves its tolerability record and safety.
How is NeuroStar Advanced Therapy different from other TMS system?
Only NeuroStar Advanced Therapy offers patented precision technology to provide the patient with the correct dose at the right location each time. It is essential as if the treatment is off by a mere 1 mm, almost 40% of the required dosage can be lost. Some other features that make NeuroStar Advanced Therapy better than the other TMS treatments are:
1. It ensures that you receive the complete prescribed dose each time, so it is highly effective. As there is no chance of less or high dosage, the treatment is known to be the most accurate of all the options available.
2. It features a high-performance coil that is designed to ensure comfort fit on the head of the patient.
3. 3D laser positioning provides repeatable and accurate treatment every time. This helps in saving time and stress.
4. In multiple clinical trials, there is proven efficacy on NeuroStar Advanced Therapy. It is backed by 11 studies with more than 900 patients involved.
5. There is proven durability of over a year that is, and it is effective for long-term remission.
6. For accurate and fast treatment, the TrackStar Cloud stores your dosage and position information.
7. It is a comfortable in-office treatment and doesn’t require any helmet or mouth guard. You need, and the expert begins the procedure.
Is NeuroStar Advanced Therapy covered under insurance?
Many insurance companies provide medical coverage for this therapy, including Tricare and Medicare. If the patient meets the necessary medical requirements, the insurance company covers the cost of treatment. It is best to contact the insurance company and verify the benefits, eligibility, and coverage for the therapy to avoid any complications at the later stage.
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy might not work for everyone. Before starting this therapy, the patient must consult the NeuroStar physician to know whether it will benefit them or not. The treatment should not be used with patients who have stimulator implants or non-removable conductive metal in or near the head or people who have inactive or active implants like cochlear implants, deep brain stimulators or vagus nerve stimulators.