With thoughts that won’t stop, rituals that take hours, and overwhelming anxiety, those living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are consumed by mental traps and exhausting routines. While many people may find relief through medications or therapy, these treatments don’t work for everyone. As a result, innovative treatments, like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), are gaining traction for treatment-resistant cases of OCD.
Here’s what you need to know about TMS for OCD and how it’s helping people have more control over their obsessions and compulsions.
OCD is a mental health condition that affects between 1% and 3% of people worldwide. While many people occasionally double-check if they locked the door, OCD is more serious and disruptive in one’s day-to-day life.
OCD creates a cycle that’s hard to break. First come unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that cause extreme anxiety. Then come repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that are done to reduce this anxiety. The problem is these behaviors only provide temporary relief, which reinforces the cycle. Many people with OCD spend hours trapped in these cycles, making it difficult to work, maintain relationships, or handle basic tasks.
As previously mentioned, OCD can be broken into obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that repeatedly enter your mind against your will. Rather than worries about real problems, these thoughts are constant, intrusive, and stressful.
Common obsessions include:
These thoughts often go against a person’s true character. For example, a loving parent might have intrusive thoughts about harming their child, or a religious person might experience blasphemous thoughts they find horrifying.
After experiencing an obsession, a person with OCD will engage in compulsive behaviors to reduce their anxiety and neutralize their thoughts. Common compulsions include:
In addition to these behaviors, some people with OCD will practice avoidance. Someone with contamination fears might avoid public restrooms, or a person with harm obsessions might not drive for fear of hitting someone.
First-line treatments for OCD are exposure and response prevention (ERP) and medication. ERP is a subtype of cognitive behavioral therapy in which you confront the thoughts, images, or situations that trigger your obsessions (exposure) while learning not to perform your usual compulsions (response prevention). Unlike talk therapy, ERP requires active participation in and outside of sessions.
For medication, doctors will prescribe:
While these treatments help many people, about 40% of OCD patients don’t respond to standard treatments. This leaves treatment-resistant individuals looking for alternative options to address their OCD symptoms.
TMS is a non-invasive brain treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate certain areas of the brain. Unlike more invasive procedures, TMS doesn’t require surgery, anesthesia, or recovery time.
During a TMS session, an electromagnetic coil is placed against your scalp near targeted brain regions. The coil then delivers magnetic pulses that painlessly pass through your skull to stimulate brain cells.
Research shows that OCD involves dysfunction in the:
Brain imaging studies have shown that these regions show unusual activity patterns in people with OCD. When OCD symptoms flare up, activity in these areas increases, whereas when symptoms improve with treatment, activity decreases.
TMS is able to directly target these overactive brain circuits. For instance, high-frequency (20 Hz) deep TMS that specifically targets the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex has been proven to normalize the activity levels in these regions.
Research on TMS for OCD shows promising results. In one study, researchers found impressive response rates with deep TMS:
Another trial that compared deep TMS to a placebo treatment found that:
Both studies used the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) to evaluate symptom improvement. A reduction of 6 points may not sound dramatic, but in clinical terms, this can mean significant relief from symptoms that have continued despite multiple treatment attempts.
TMS has gained a lot of attention for its strong safety profile. In 2017, the FDA approved a specific repetitive TMS (rTMS) for OCD treatment due to its efficacy and safety.
Multiple studies have confirmed that TMS is generally well-tolerated with no serious side effects in most patients. The most common side effects are mild and temporary:
Seizures are sometimes mentioned as a concern with TMS, but they are extremely rare, occurring in less than 1% of patients. Importantly, TMS has been safely used even in patients with conditions that might seem higher risk, including those with epilepsy, traumatic brain injuries, and those who previously experienced a TMS-related seizure (with appropriate precautions).
While TMS is safe for most people, certain factors may disqualify you from treatment. You should not receive TMS therapy for OCD if you have:
During an initial consultation, your provider will review your medical history in detail to determine if TMS is right for you.
While traditional OCD treatments help many people, TMS offers new hope for those who haven’t had success with standard options. We understand how exhausting the constant cycle of obsessions and compulsions can be, which is why we offer personalized TMS treatment plans for our OCD patients. Don’t let OCD control your life. Contact Cura Behavioral Health today to schedule a consultation and learn if you can benefit from TMS therapy.
Determining if TMS therapy suits your mental health journey should involve consultation with a qualified professional. At Cura Behavioral Health, we provide comprehensive assessments to help you make informed treatment decisions.
Don’t let a mental health condition hold you back any longer. Schedule a consultation with Cura Behavioral Health today. Our experienced team is ready to answer your questions and create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
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Dr. Kevin Simonson, an esteemed Medical Director at Cura Behavioral Health, brings over 15 years of experience in psychiatry. A graduate from a top medical school, he specializes in the treatment of mood disorders and anxiety, employing a patient-centered approach. His dedication to evidence-based care and his commitment to advancing mental health practices have made him a respected figure in the field. Dr. Simonson’s leadership ensures the highest standard of care for the community at Cura Behavioral Health.
