The TMS Solutions' Depression & Treatment Blog 

In a June 4th email message from Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, the Secretary announced exciting news that “things will be changing June 6th at the VA” due to the passage last year of the Mission Act.

Beginning June 6, 2019, “the Mission Act will enable VA to consolidate the Department’s community care efforts into a single, simple-to-use program that will empower Veterans with the ability to choose the healthcare providers they trust.” Congress’s bipartisan act should lead to better customer service for our nation’s heroes.

“over 60 percent of our patients who have received the TMS Therapy® treatment have reported that their depression improved or disappeared.”

If you’ve watched the news, depression and its treatment is a big issue for returning veterans. In the four year period from 2006-2010. 2.1 million veterans received mental health treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, this according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In a response to the remission results utilizing TMS Therapy among the civilian population, the VA announced it is rolling out 40 rTMS devices. 

In a March 9^th piece on Fox News, reporter Terace Garnier wrote an article about how the “VA enlists help of electromagnetic head device to treat veterans battling depression”. Garnier stated that “The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing a new option to help fight the disorder called Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or rTMS therapy. It’s a device that uses an electromagnet charged with electricity that is applied to specific points on the patient’s head. The powerful magnetic field can then affect the brain cells of the person suffering from depression.”

Exciting news for active military and veterans suffering from depression!

Christopher Blackburn, co-founder of TMS Solutions, with locations in Grand Junction, CO, Denver, CO, and Boise, ID is enthusiastically reaching out to his patients who are veterans. Blackburn said that TRICARE recently announced to its members that TMS Therapy is now covered in their policy, making it available as a treatment for medication resistant patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Blackburn also noted that while TMS is currently only indicated for depression, it can also be effective in treating the PTSD and anxiety veterans face when they return from active duty.