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Magnetic stimulation as therapy

Unlocking depression, chronic pain and more

Static magnets — the kind you might use to attach a photo to your refrigerator — have been used for centuries as attempted therapies for a wide variety of disorders.

But now, an exciting new era of magnetic therapy is under way. The therapy, called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), involves using brief powerful electromagnetic pulses to alter brain activity.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved TMS therapy for those who have depression that isn't responding to drug therapy. In addition, researchers are studying new uses of magnetic brain stimulation, such as controlling acute and chronic pain, reducing ringing in the ears, and stopping and preventing migraines.

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