By the numbers – TMS treatments work

Submitted by By JM Simpson, Ranger newspaper.

After retiring from the Army in 2012, Dr. (COL) Kris Peterson worked part-time for the Army and the Puyallup Tribe while also beginning his practice in Lakewood.

“I am dedicated to finding solutions to depression, anxiety and PTSD; it is our team’s passion,” he said. That sense of purpose led him to open Touchstone TMS in 2019.

Over the past five years, Touchstone has provided top-tier treatment for the communities of Lakewood, Puyallup, Gig Harbor and Olympia. In doing so, Touchstone has treated thousands of patients, delivering over 50,000 Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatments with outstanding results.

A specialty provider of FDA-approved psychiatric therapies for treatment-resistant depression, and other mental health disorders, the clinic offers transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for patients who have struggled to achieve remission.

TMS is safe, non-invasive, involves no sedation and takes about 20 minutes. Patients can drive to and from appointments. Typically, it takes about 36 treatments with TMS to produce an antidepressant effect.

“We have been analyzing data since the inception of our clinic,” Peterson explained. “This extensive timeline allows us to examine trends and variations in treatment outcomes, enhancing the validity of our findings.”

Touchstone collects outcomes data by asking patients to give consent in ongoing research or data collection efforts as part of their treatment agreement if they wish.

The data collected is impressive.

“We have observed approximately a 70% response rate in our patients suffering from depression, with 40% remission rates,” Peterson described. Response rate in clinical terms means that the patient had over a 50% improvement in their symptoms of whatever is being treated. In this case, it is specific to depression.

“A significant majority of our patients experience notable improvement in their symptoms, with many achieving complete remission.”

He added that in an open label review of over 250 patients with generalized anxiety disorder, there was a 50% remission rate — the anxiety went away, indicating that TMS has a potent effect in this data set for Touchstone clinics.

“These statistics not only validate the effectiveness of TMS but also encourage patients who may be seeking alternative treatments for their mental health challenges,” Peterson added.

The data supports Peterson and his staff’s initial understanding of TMS as an effective treatment, and they have been surprised by the extent of the positive outcomes across different demographics and conditions.

“The high response rates for depression and other mental health disorders are encouraging and give hope for people fighting mental health disorders,” he said. “Though approved for depression we have seen improvements in generalized anxiety, OCD and PTSD. These findings reinforce our belief in TMS as a versatile treatment option and motivates us to further explore its potential across various mental health conditions.”

He added that Touchstone conducts follow-up evaluation at various intervals post-treatment to track long-term outcomes. This systematic approach ensures that reliable data is collected.

“Our mission to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the South Sound community is clear: We are here to provide compassionate, effective care through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Esketamine and other novel treatments,” said Peterson.

Most exciting is the recent FDA approval “of our devices now for chronic pain in a procedure called Magnetic Peripheral Nerve Stimulation.” This may reduce chronic pain, is noninvasive and is effective within a week. In the study that helped gain FDA approval, two-thirds of patients who responded had an 87% reduction in pain. There was opioid use reduction seen in 58.3% of responders as well.

“Our clinic has a proven track record of delivering high response and remission rates for depression and anxiety that improves outcomes for mental health disorders and patients’ quality of life. We are committed to expanding our services to meet the needs of individuals seeking mental health support. We invite you to reach out and learn more about how we can help you or your loved ones on their mental health journey,” concluded Peterson.

To learn more about Touchstone TMS and its four locations, visit www.touchstonetms.com, email info@touchstonetms.com, or call 253-393-9099.