Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Our psychiatrists are experts in TMS for treatment-resistant depression, OCD, chronic pain and other conditions. TMS can help when other treatments don’t get desired results.
Who Can Benefit From Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)?
TMS is a safe, noninvasive therapy that uses gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate targeted areas of the brain. It’s an effective treatment for major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic pain and other conditions when other treatments haven’t helped.
Multiple TMS treatment sessions over days or weeks (what’s known as repetitive TMS or rTMS) are thought to alter patterns of brain cell nerve firing in a manner that may provide relief from depression, pain, and other clinical syndromes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TMS for select conditions as a once-a-day treatment taking place over six to nine weeks.
Up to two-thirds of people with depression who receive TMS see improvements even when medications and psychotherapy have provided little benefit. TMS may cause temporary mild side effects, such as slight discomfort or fatigue. Many patients find these side effects are less burdensome than medication side effects.
Refer a Patient
If you are interested in learning more about TMS or scheduling treatment in our clinic, please ask your provider to place a referral. Our referral form can be located below.
If your doctor or other health care provider has already referred you to our clinic, we will reach out to you by phone as soon as the referral is processed. Please expect a call within 1-2 business days.
Contact Us
Call to learn more about TMS at UCLA Health. If you’re a referring physician, please complete this .
Why Choose UCLA Health for TMS?
UCLA Health is California’s largest and experienced provider of TMS. A board-certified psychiatrist sees each patient at every session to ensure safety and maximize treatment benefits.
You have many options for TMS treatment in Southern California. The table below may help you compare our approach to that of other providers you are considering.
| Treatment Options/Procedures Offered | UCLA Health TMS providers* | Other providers |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive assessment for TMS and other neuromodulation treatment options | ✔ | |
| Development of a personalized treatment plan | ✔ | |
| Measurement-based care with weekly treatment planning meetings | ✔ | |
| Meeting with a psychiatrist at every treatment session in order to discuss your treatment progress | ✔ | |
| Regular communication from our treatment team to your primary mental health care provider | ✔ | |
| Sophisticated treatment protocols informed by the latest research | ✔ | |
| Customized adjustments to your treatment plan as often as needed to maximize your benefit | ✔ | |
| Combined treatment for OCD, pain, and other conditions that occur with depression, at no additional cost to you | ✔ | |
| Evidence-based and affordable treatment of chronic pain, tinnitus, and other conditions usually not covered by insurance | ✔ | |
| Affordable relapse prevention treatment protocols for depression | ✔ |
*Your doctor will help you determine the best TMS therapy for you.
Our psychiatrists have years of expertise using TMS to help patients when other treatments aren’t effective. You receive care at one of the nation’s top five psychiatry and behavioral sciences programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.
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Precision TMS approach: A psychiatrist sees you at each session to ensure you receive care based on your personalized treatment plan. We may also use MRI guidance to deliver your treatments with the highest degree of precision. Our team closely monitors your symptoms with weekly rating scales and holds weekly planning meetings to modify your care plan as needed.
Treatment for conditions beyond depression: We use TMS as an off-label (non-FDA-approved) treatment for chronic pain, tinnitus, stroke and other conditions. We’re among a select few providers who use TMS to treat multiple conditions that often occur together (such as depression and chronic pain) in a single treatment session.
Dedicated TMS care managers: Each of our patients has a dedicated TMS care manager who provides compassionate guidance and support throughout the course of treatment. These specialists schedule appointments, answer questions, manage insurance approvals, coordinate with outside providers and connect patients to community resources.
Convenient, comfortable locations: Our UCLA Health clinics in Calabasas, Pasadena and Westwood provide easy access to TMS treatments near where you live. A UCLA Health psychiatrist and TMS technician oversee every session wherever you receive treatment, which takes place in a dedicated treatment room equipped with Wi-Fi and TV.
High rates of success: Approximately two-thirds of our patients see significant symptom improvements from TMS, with benefits that can last for years. Many patients notice changes after just a few sessions.
Accelerated TMS program: With our accelerated TMS treatment plan, patients get five TMS treatments daily for five consecutive days. Patients finish treatment in one week versus six weeks or more. As many as eight in ten patients get symptom relief with this off-label (non-FDA-approved) accelerated approach.
Affordable options: Research indicates that TMS and accelerated treatments help with chronic pain, tinnitus and certain other conditions. However, because most insurance plans only cover standard TMS for the treatment of depression, we offer affordable payment options.
A focus on TMS research: We’re national leaders in TMS clinical trials and research. UCLA Health experts helped develop some of the most effective TMS methods. As a patient, you have the option to participate in our efforts to make TMS even more effective through the UCLA Health TMS Clinical and Research Service.
Our Services
TMS can work best when combined with medications or psychotherapy. We work closely with your primary care provider, mental health professional and other health care professionals to seamlessly integrate TMS into your care plan. This collaboration helps you achieve the best treatment results.
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Most of our patients are adults, although we successfully use TMS to treat patients as young as 15. The FDA has approved TMS for:
- Major depression, treatment-resistant depression and anxious depression
- Neuropathic Pain
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Smoking cessation
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Published studies suggest that TMS may also help relieve symptoms for of other conditions, including:
- Anxiety disorders
- Chronic pain, fibromyalgia and neuropathy
- Dual conditions, such as chronic pain and depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Tinnitus
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Almost everyone can safely benefit from TMS. However, you may not be a good candidate for TMS if you have some forms of metal or a medical device in your head, such as:
- Aneurysm clip
- Cochlear implant
- Deep brain stimulator (DBS)
- Shrapnel
TMS Treatments We Offer
To ensure TMS is right for you, you’ll complete a new patient intake with a care manager and meet with a psychiatrist who performs a comprehensive evaluation. TMS takes place in an outpatient clinic every weekday for six to nine weeks. For some patients, we may recommend extending treatments to maximize benefits.
The length of each treatment session varies from 10 minutes to 75 minutes, depending on the condition and symptom severity. TMS may cause discomfort, mild headaches, sleep problems or tiredness afterward. These side effects are typically mild and go away after the first few treatments. There’s an extremely low risk of seizure during treatment.
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We customize each treatment session to meet your specific needs. In general, here’s what you can expect :
- A psychiatrist conducts a brief health assessment before every TMS session.
- You sit in an exam chair with a headrest (similar to a dental office chair).
- We provide earplugs to muffle the magnetic pulse sounds.
- A technician places a treatment cap on your head, and then positions the TMS magnet over the designated area of the treatment cap and reclines the chair.
- Your physician checks the device settings and starts the treatment. The device is programmed to deliver magnetic pulses based on your individualized treatment plan.
- You may hear clicking sounds or feel a tapping sensation as the device delivers magnetic pulses.
- You can watch TV, read, talk with a friend or use your smartphone or computer during the session.
- You complete a symptom evaluation questionnaire after every fifth session. We use your responses to adjust treatments and achieve the desired results.
On the first day of treatment, your care team performs a motor threshold check, which enables us to determine the optimal treatment intensity for you. You rest one arm comfortably on a cushion while gentle electromagnetic pulses are delivered to the part of your brain that controls hand movement. Your hand will twitch or move slightly as magnetic pulses are delivered. Your care team adjusts the treatment intensity based on your movements.
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Our accelerated TMS treatment program condenses treatment time to five days instead of six weeks or more. You have five TMS sessions a day for five consecutive days (called a “5x5” treatment plan). Most patients experience depression relief within a few days. However, maximum benefits occur about two weeks after the end of treatment. You will meet with a psychiatrist two weeks and four weeks after treatment to determine if you might benefit from additional sessions.
This accelerated approach is safe and effective. However, insurers don’t cover accelerated TMS because the FDA hasn’t reviewed it. It is an off-label treatment.
We offer affordable payment options for patients who want to receive accelerated treatments. You may also have the opportunity to participate in research designed to demonstrate the efficacy of accelerated TMS.
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Most patients who get TMS enjoy long-lasting symptom relief for months or years. You can safely get TMS again if symptoms return.
Noninvasive Neuromodulation Treatments for Pain
What is Neuropathic Pain?
Neuropathic pain, often described as nerve pain, occurs as a result of injury to the nervous system. This pain can arise from any part of your nervous system, including your peripheral nerves, spinal cord, or brain.
When nerve fibers are damaged, they may send abnormal signals to pain centers, leading to neuropathic pain. Changes in nerve function can occur both at the site of injury and in your central nervous system.
Neuropathies can often include both the absence of normal sensations (manifest by things like numbness or imbalance with walking) and the presence of unpleasant abnormal sensations ( such as burning, tingling, pins and needles) and pain from things that should not hurt, like putting on socks like socks, touching a smooth or soft surface, or exposure to heat, or cold.
Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Treatment Options
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): TMS uses gentle magnetic pulses applied over specific areas of the brain, employing a “top-down” approach to directly alter the brain's processing of pain.
- Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (MPNS): mPNS uses gentle magnetic pulses applied directly over the painful area to help retrain your nerves and reduce pain signals to the brain.
- Scrambler Therapy: Scrambler Therapy uses small electrical currents to send device-generated “non-pain” or “normal sensation” signals to the nerves near the painful area essentially “scrambling” the pain messages sent to the spinal cord and brain.
If you're interested in exploring non-invasive neuromodulation treatments, we’re here to help. To get started with an evaluation and find the right treatment option, please have a physician .
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