An Omaha psychiatrist is seeing improvement in patients with difficult to treat depression by using a therapy called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS. The treatment has had FDA clearance for difficult to treat depression for more than ten years.“Every single patient who sat in that chair, they got better,” said Dr. Vidhya Selvaraj, a psychiatrist with Omaha Insomnia and Psychiatric Services in Omaha, who said she wants patients to feel empowered and know that there is hope. During treatments, a patient places a helmet on their head in the clinical setting for about 20 minutes, while the TMS machine delivers rapidly pulsating and localized magnetic fields to the brain. Patients stop in for quick appointments on their lunch breaks or before work and can continue their day, said Selvaraj. “For lack of getting too technical, the neurons that are in the happy spot of the brain are lazy. They are just not getting up and doing what they are supposed to do,” said Selvaraj. She said TMS gets those neurons moving. She said she starts her patients with 20 treatments, which are about 20 minutes each, and they she tapers back, depending on the results. Selvaraj said she typically sees improvement in two weeks, when she’ll start to notice her female patients wearing makeup, taking time to do their hair, and reporting that they are just happier. “I am happy. I’m anxiously awaiting getting into pharmacy school and just happy with where my life is going,” said 34-year-old Jenna Bierma, a pharmacy tech who’s battled depression her entire life. Depression runs in her family. Her older sister, Jill, took her own life at age 24.Bierma has always achieved in school. She was valedictorian in both high school and college, with depression always in the background of her life. She said there were countless days where she simply could not get out of bed. Bierma started TMS treatments about 3 years ago. Now she’s taking prerequisite classes to enter pharmacy school and has dreams. The treatments have no side effects and is non-invasive. Bierma said during treatment, it feels like something is lightly tapping on her head. “I was always afraid to make big goals. Just afraid of failure and not knowing what the world was going to bring,” said Bierma. While Bierma remains on anti-depressant medications, Selvaraj said she’s been able to taper many patients off their meds once they begin TMS treatments. Selvaraj said TMS is for patients who’ve tried other anti-depressants without success and are considered treatment resistant. Insurance typically pays for 39 treatments a year. Selvaraj divides up the TMS treatments and uses them as needed. Some people never need treatment again, while she said others come back for weekly or monthly maintenance. Selvaraj uses a TMS machine called BrainsWay. It’s also been FDA cleared for smoking cessation and OCD treatment. Selvaraj said there are countless patients who’ve benefitted from the treatment. “It took me from the worst of depression to surviving again,” said Lynn Podany who said when she reached out to Dr. Selvaraj months ago, she was unable to get out of bed. “I know it gave me my life back,” she said. For more information, go to https://www.omahainsomnia.com. The clinic is located in west Omaha. A different area clinic offers a similar treatment as well as an office in Lincoln.
An Omaha psychiatrist is seeing improvement in patients with difficult to treat depression by using a therapy called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS. The treatment has had FDA clearance for difficult to treat depression for more than ten years.
“Every single patient who sat in that chair, they got better,” said Dr. Vidhya Selvaraj, a psychiatrist with Omaha Insomnia and Psychiatric Services in Omaha, who said she wants patients to feel empowered and know that there is hope.
During treatments, a patient places a helmet on their head in the clinical setting for about 20 minutes, while the TMS machine delivers rapidly pulsating and localized magnetic fields to the brain. Patients stop in for quick appointments on their lunch breaks or before work and can continue their day, said Selvaraj.
“For lack of getting too technical, the neurons that are in the happy spot of the brain are lazy. They are just not getting up and doing what they are supposed to do,” said Selvaraj.
She said TMS gets those neurons moving.
She said she starts her patients with 20 treatments, which are about 20 minutes each, and they she tapers back, depending on the results. Selvaraj said she typically sees improvement in two weeks, when she’ll start to notice her female patients wearing makeup, taking time to do their hair, and reporting that they are just happier.
“I am happy. I’m anxiously awaiting getting into pharmacy school and just happy with where my life is going,” said 34-year-old Jenna Bierma, a pharmacy tech who’s battled depression her entire life. Depression runs in her family. Her older sister, Jill, took her own life at age 24.
Bierma has always achieved in school. She was valedictorian in both high school and college, with depression always in the background of her life. She said there were countless days where she simply could not get out of bed. Bierma started TMS treatments about 3 years ago. Now she’s taking prerequisite classes to enter pharmacy school and has dreams. The treatments have no side effects and is non-invasive. Bierma said during treatment, it feels like something is lightly tapping on her head.
“I was always afraid to make big goals. Just afraid of failure and not knowing what the world was going to bring,” said Bierma.
While Bierma remains on anti-depressant medications, Selvaraj said she’s been able to taper many patients off their meds once they begin TMS treatments. Selvaraj said TMS is for patients who’ve tried other anti-depressants without success and are considered treatment resistant.
Insurance typically pays for 39 treatments a year. Selvaraj divides up the TMS treatments and uses them as needed. Some people never need treatment again, while she said others come back for weekly or monthly maintenance. Selvaraj uses a TMS machine called BrainsWay. It’s also been FDA cleared for smoking cessation and OCD treatment.
Selvaraj said there are countless patients who’ve benefitted from the treatment.
“It took me from the worst of depression to surviving again,” said Lynn Podany who said when she reached out to Dr. Selvaraj months ago, she was unable to get out of bed.
“I know it gave me my life back,” she said.
For more information, go to https://www.omahainsomnia.com. The clinic is located in west Omaha. A different area clinic offers a similar treatment as well as an office in Lincoln.