How Long Does TMS Therapy Last? Understanding the Short and Long-Term Benefits

If you’re considering TMS, you’re probably wondering how long TMS therapy lasts. Will you feel better right away? Will the benefits stick around, or will symptoms come back over time? 

While some people feel better within weeks, others see long-term improvements that last for months or years. Here’s a breakdown of the short and long-term benefits of TMS, what to expect during treatment, and how to make the most of its benefits. 

TMS therapy is a non-invasive, medication-free treatment that uses hundreds or thousands of magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain. It’s mainly used for those with depression and other mental health conditions who have not found relief through traditional treatments. 

While medications affect the brain through chemical changes, TMS directly influences neural activity. This helps to restore function in underactive brain regions that are tied to mood regulation.

One of the benefits of TMS is that it doesn’t require sedation or surgery. Patients stay awake and alert throughout the procedure and are able to continue about their day as normal after a session. TMS has minimal side effects that typically go away as treatment progresses, however some patients may experience: 

• Temporary scalp discomfort or mild headaches
• Tapping sensations or tingling at the treatment site 
• Muscle twitching or spasms around the treatment area
• Brief tinnitus, which can be minimized or prevented by wearing ear plugs
• Lightheadedness or dizziness, although rare

Depending on your individual needs, the duration of TMS sessions and overall treatment length can vary. However, a typical treatment plan lasts between six to eight weeks with daily sessions scheduled five days a week. Each session itself lasts around 20 minutes, so patients can easily  fit treatment into their routine with minimal disruption. 

That being said, the number of treatments you receive can affect how well TMS works. Research shows that more TMS sessions lead to better improvements in depression symptoms. A recent study shows that participants saw the best results after 36 sessions, even compared to those who had more than 41 sessions. While additional sessions can still be helpful, the rate of improvement tends to slow down after this point. 

Everyone responds to TMS differently. A study from UCLA Health researchers found that many patients start experiencing improvements within the first week; however, this isn’t the case for everyone.

For those who don’t notice immediate changes, it doesn’t mean TMS isn’t working. The brain needs time to adapt to the stimulation, and symptoms will typically improve as treatment continues. What’s most important is sticking with the full treatment plan as its effects build over time.

TMS therapy is growing in popularity due to its short-term and long-term benefits. 

Short-Term Benefits of TMS

While you may not be able to feel significant changes right after a TMS session, there are still changes happening behind the scenes. Brain imaging studies show that people with major depressive disorder (MDD) have lower activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and orbital frontal cortex. These brain regions are in charge of mood regulation, memory, and decision-making, and when they aren’t functioning as they should, symptoms of depression can develop. 

Accelerated TMS (aTMS) has been shown to restore connectivity between these brain regions in as little as four days. This may be why some patients start feeling relief shortly after starting treatment. Additionally, TMS increases hippocampal volume, similar to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), but without the need for anesthesia or seizure induction. 

TMS can also affect how a person functions day-to-day per a recent study on Deep TMS. Researchers found that: 

• Before treatment, patients reported 5.5 unproductive days per week. 
• After treatment, this dropped to 1.8 unproductive days per week. 
• Lost workdays also decreased, from 1.9 to 0.3 per week on average. 

Long-Term Benefits of TMS 

TMS not only has short-term benefits, but it can also lead to mental health improvements that last. Medications require ongoing use to maintain their effects, but TMS promotes long-term changes in brain function that help sustain relief from depression and other conditions. Research has shown: 

• 90% of patients who responded to rTMS maintained their improvement six months later after a standard 4-week treatment.
• 86.7% of OCD patients maintained symptom improvement for at least one year, and 43.3% continued to benefit for two years or longer. 
• Repeated TMS sessions encourage long-term neural changes for healthier brain activity patterns that support emotional regulation. 
• TMS has no known long-term negative effects, making it a safe option for extended relief. 
• Many patients report better functioning, increased productivity, and better quality of life long after completing treatment. 

While TMS can provide long-lasting relief, its effects may gradually fade over time. Some patients remain symptom-free for years, while others may experience a return of symptoms after a certain period. For those who respond well to initial treatment, maintenance TMS can help sustain improvements and prevent relapse.

Researchers have identified four types of maintenance TMS protocols: 

1. Tapering – Sessions are gradually reduced over several weeks. 
2. Cluster – Patients receive five intensive sessions over 2.5 to 5 days, followed by a month or more without treatment before another cluster. 
3. Continuous – Regular scheduled sessions start within the first week after acute treatment to prevent relapse early on. 
4. Rescue – Not used routinely, but given only if a patient experiences a relapse. 

Studies suggest that two or fewer sessions per month are not enough to maintain the antidepressant effects of TMS. The most effective maintenance plans involve more than two sessions per month for at least five months. 

Another study found 21 weeks of maintenance TMS reduced depression for patients with treatment-resistant depression who had previously relapsed after successful TMS. 

If you’ve been struggling with depression and feel like nothing has worked, it might be time to try something different. TMS therapy stimulates underactive areas of the brain, helping people find relief when other treatments fall short. It’s non-invasive, doesn’t require medication, and for many, results last long after treatment.      

Wondering if it could work for you? At Pulse TMS, we’re here to answer your questions. Call us today to schedule a consultation and see if TMS therapy fits your needs.