If depression has made your daily life feel smaller, NeuroStar Advanced TMS Therapy in Scottsdale offers a noninvasive way to target symptoms at their source. At The Schulte Institute in Arizona, we provide compassionate, evidence-based care in a calm, outpatient setting so you can focus on feeling better and getting back to your life.
Our team guides you through every step of the consultation and treatment process—from confirming candidacy and coordinating benefits to tailoring a treatment plan that fits your goals and schedule.
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy uses transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to trigger areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. This non-invasive procedure uses magnetic fields—similar in strength to an MRI—to activate nerve cells linked to mood. NeuroStar TMS is FDA-cleared to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), depression with comorbid anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is also cleared as an adjunct treatment for adolescents aged fifteen and older with MDD.
NeuroStar TMS treatments are performed in our Scottsdale office, require no anesthesia, and typically take as little as 19 minutes per session. Because it is not a drug or surgery, you can drive yourself home and resume normal activities immediately after each visit.
During the treatment process, most people describe a tapping or pulsing sensation on the scalp during the first sessions. The most common side effect is temporary discomfort at or near the treatment site, which typically diminishes after the first week as you acclimate. There is no sedation, and the device’s settings can be adjusted to enhance your comfort. These details will be reviewed during your initial consultation, and if you choose NeuroStar TMS therapy, you will be monitored closely during each visit to our Scottsdale office.
In the largest real-world outcomes registry for depression, clinician ratings showed 83% of patients experienced a positive response to TMS, and 62% achieved remission from symptoms after an acute course of NeuroStar Advanced TMS therapy. Patient-reported results also demonstrated meaningful improvement. These data points, published from thousands of patients treated across more than 100 U.S. sites, support NeuroStar as an effective option when medications have not provided adequate relief (Sackeim et al., 2020; Carpenter et al., 2012). If you would like to know more about the positive benefits of Advanced TMS therapy sessions, reach out to our team in Scottsdale.
Most major health plans, including BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, United Healthcare, and Cigna, cover NeuroStar TMS therapy when medical-necessity criteria are met. Coverage details and pre-treatment requirements vary by carrier. Plans commonly require documentation of an MDD or OCD diagnosis, prior attempts with medications (often two or more at adequate dose and duration), and, in some cases, a trial of psychotherapy or augmentation strategies. Our team in Scottsdale verifies your benefits and helps gather the records insurers request so you understand any out-of-pocket costs before you begin your NeuroStar TMS treatment plan.
If medications have not provided the relief you need from your depressive, anxious, or OCD symptoms, NeuroStar Advanced TMS Therapy in Scottsdale may help you move forward. Contact The Schulte Institute to schedule a consultation. We will review your history, check your insurance benefits, and design a plan centered on you and your needs.
References
Adult Indications for Use
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is indicated for the treatment of depressive episodes and for decreasing anxiety symptoms for those who may exhibit comorbid anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and who failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from previous antidepressant medication treatment in the current episode.
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is intended to be used as an adjunct for the treatment of adult patients suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Adolescent Indications for Use
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is indicated as an adjunct for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescent patients (15-21).
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is only available by prescription. A doctor can help decide if NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is right for you. Patients’ results may vary.
Important Safety Information
The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site. These events are transient; they occur during the TMS treatment course and do not occur for most patients after the first week of treatment. There is a rare risk of seizure associated with the use of TMS therapy (<0.1% per patient).
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy should not be used with patients who have non-removable conductive metal in or near the head. NeuroStar Advanced Therapy has not been studied in patients who have not received prior antidepressant treatment.
