Dr. Mehmet Oz recently introduced transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) an innovative treatment for depression that is non-invasive and drug-free to his audience on The Dr. Oz Show.

“I believe this could be an effective treatment,” said Dr. Oz. “Why is every psychiatrist in the country not thinking about this for their patients?”

TMS is available in the Los Angeles area at The West Coast TMS Institute, founded and directed by psychiatrist Kira Stein, who uses the NeuroStar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy system, demonstrated on “The Dr. Oz Show,” to treat depression. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved NeuroStar TMS in 2008 for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adult patients who have failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from one prior antidepressant medication.

Several medical societies, including the American Psychiatric Association and the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatment have listed TMS therapy in their guidelines for the management of clinical depression that is unresponsive to other treatment.

“Depression, the most common mental disorder in the United States, is a debilitating disease that affects a rapidly-growing number of people. Unfortunately, many people do not achieve sufficient relief with antidepressant medications or suffer systemic side-effects from them,” said Dr. Stein. “Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a breakthrough technology that offers a safe, effective and proven alternative treatment to those who suffer from depression. Due to our individualized approach to TMS, about 80% of our patients respond positively, which is a better success rate than that of patients treated with medications alone.”

Watch the two-part demonstration on the Dr. Oz Show.