For as long as Denise V. can remember, she was always checking, always counting. She’d count out loud, and she’d count in her head. She can recall these struggles all the way back to when she was just 12 years old.
Denise, who has been a Pacific Clinics client in Pasadena and South Pasadena for the past seven years, was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, along with depression and anxiety – conditions that rendered her disabled and unable to continue her work in construction.
Her insurance provider connected her to Pacific Clinics, where she continued with traditional medications as she had over the years. For a time, they offered help, but eventually, her condition worsened.
So when a new, alternative treatment option became available at Pacific Clinics, Denise’s care team knew she was an ideal candidate. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been used successfully for more than 20 years to treat major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar depression and anxiety associated with depression. A noninvasive technique approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), TMS applies a series of short magnetic pulses (like an MRI) to targeted areas of the brain. This stimulates the brain and enhances neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to change abnormal brain patterns that cause depression and restore normal function.
Denise, who trusted her team, was willing to give TMS a try.
“To measure TMS effectiveness in treatment-resistant Major Depression, we conduct the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at baseline (prior to initiating treatment) and then weekly. To measure effectiveness in the treatment of treatment-resistant OCD symptoms, we use the Y-BOCS assessment at baseline, then once weekly,” said Dr. Carlos Figuroa. “The majority of clients who receive treatments on a consistent basis have noticed a significant decrease or complete resolution of their symptoms.”
And that includes Denise. At first, she noticed gradual changes and improvements during her initial treatment, which consisted of visits in sixteen-minute increments five times a week over a six-week period.
By the end of those six weeks, the difference she noticed was huge.
Her symptoms have dramatically decreased, and she can now complete daily tasks. While it is still early, Denise believes TMS will help her lead a more fulfilling life.
And she believes she is already on her way.
