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(NBC) - For three years, Karen Day searched for a treatment that would help with her depression.
"I didn't feel well, it was a very physical thing," Day said.
Medications caused unbearable side effects, so her general physician recommended she look into transcranial magnetic stimulation.
"Basically it delivers a magnetic pulse or excitement to turn on neuronal activity in the brain related to depression," Dr. Louis Costello, a psychiatrist, said.
Karen underwent 37 minutes of treatment five days a week for six weeks.
"I picked up pretty quick that I was reaping some benefit in just the way I felt," Day said. "I was just starting to feel better. I call it my effervescent feeling."
Costello says the outpatient procedure is a revolutionary advancement in depression treatment because there are virtually no side effects.
Karen says the treatment gave her back a zest for life.
People who cannot undergo an MRI will not qualify for TMS therapy.
The procedure costs about $7,000 to $10,000 for a course of treatment. That cost may or may not be covered by your insurance.
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