Depression

Breakthrough Depression Treatment Can Lift You Out of the Fog

This FDA-Cleared Treatment for Depression and Major Depressive Disorder  (MDD) is Drug-free and Non-invasive

When you have depression, it can feel like you’re living your life in a fog. Everything around you can seem hazy; you can feel hopeless, tired, even like life is no longer worth living.

There are many ways to treat depression like therapy and medications. But some people would prefer not to take antidepressants. And some, even when they do take them, don’t respond well or can’t handle the side effects.

If any of this sounds familiar, we understand. And we know how hard it can be.

But there is hope. Here at MVP Medical Care, we offer an entirely different approach to treating depression. It’s called MeRT or Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy. It’s non-invasive, drug-free, and lasting. And it’s helped people of all ages and from all walks of life to feel alive again.

The MeRT Approach to Depression

MeRT uses a magnetic field to stimulate and balance brain function, guided by sophisticated imaging and diagnostics. It has been used successfully to treat depression, particularly when medications haven’t helped or have caused complex side effects. And MeRT is FDA-approved for Multiple Drug Resistant Depression.

So yes, depression can be hard to treat. But don’t give up — you may have just found the solution.

I felt like I was alone even though I was surrounded by love and care. It was just a cloud that would linger over my life every now and again. The Brain Treatment Center helped me understand what was going on in my head and after a month of treatment, I was grateful to be DEPRESSION-FREE and MEDICATION-FREE for the first time in my life.”— MeRT Patient

Life Can Be Better. There is Hope.

Learn How MeRT Treatment May Help with Your Depression. Contact Our Clinic Today.

Call us: 480.588.7787

Depression Takes Many Forms

Depression can be debilitating and affect your quality of life. Some depression is acute, brought on by a one-time situation such as the death of a loved one or physical or emotional trauma. Depression can also have unknown causes and be chronic.

But whether acute or chronic, depression can be a serious illness. And dealing with depression isn’t something you “put on the back burner:” Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. and has been on the rise for teens and adults. Up to 7.4% of teens between grades 9-12 reported that they had attempted suicide at least once in the last twelve months.

Getting the right kind of help for depression can be a matter of life and death. If you are feeling suicidal, please call 911. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

Depression Symptoms

Depression, also called Clinical Depression or Major Depressive Disorder, can have a range of symptoms and degrees of severity for different people. These can include:

• Loss of interest in activities and relationships
• Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
• Loss of sex drive
• Insomnia, or sleeping too much
• Emotional outbursts, even over insignificant matters
• Chronic mental and/or physical exhaustion
• Changes in appetite
• Increased anxiety
• Agitation or restlessness
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Low self-esteem
• Short-term memory loss
• Inability to think straight
• Fixating or ruminating on failures or past events
• Physical symptoms such as back pain, neck pain, or headaches with no known cause
• Chronic feelings of unhappiness
• Feeling “numb”
• Feelings of isolation
• Thoughts of suicide
• Attempts at suicide, or death by suicide

If you think you might have Major Depressive Disorder, know that there is hope.

For me, depression was the constant feeling of ‘I want to quit’ and retreat to my home, except I already would be home. MeRT helped me shed this feeling in less than two weeks. I couldn’t believe I had spent so many years feeling this way!”  — Brain Treatment Patient 

Wondering if MeRT Can Help You or Someone You Love with Depression?

Contact Our Clinic Today.

Call us: 480.588.7787

“Everyone experiences their world a little bit differently.”

“EEGs (electrical pictures of the brain) can tell us when there are abnormalities in neural networks. … And we run that data through a normative database, and we can see, for example, if somebody has an area in the left prefrontal cortex that’s cycling at two Hertz — which means that they may be only processing information two times per second — whereas the rest of their brain may be cycling 11 times per second. That information mismatch may manifest for somebody who has depression. They may lack motivation, feel lethargic, not want to get out of bed.”

But in a different scenario… let’s say it is the visual cortex that’s cycling now at 30 times per second. If you’re scanning your environment 30 times per second, but [are] only able to process it 10 or 11 times per second, this information overload may manifest as anxiety. And it’s not a one-to-one correlation. Everyone experiences their world a little bit differently.

We can look at these signals and find areas that are abnormal, [then we] use this FDA cleared technology, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, to navigate to the area that’s not working properly and try to stimulate it and remind it that it wants to fire at a certain frequency and a certain rate.”

– Dr. Erik Won, President of Wave Neuroscience, from his appearance on the Broken Brain podcast

MeRT Treatment: FDA-approved for Multiple Drug-Resistant Depression

Completely non-invasive and drug-free, MeRT combines:

• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS, an FDA cleared therapy),
• Quantitative Electroencephalogram (qEEG), and
• Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)

We take these steps to analyze and formulate treatments tailored to each patient’s unique brain pattern.

The MeRT process is much more evolved than standard TMS treatments since it is not a “one size fits all” approach. MeRT is highly individualized in both frequency and location. This scientific approach is unique to each person.

According to the Mayo Clinic, more than three million people are diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder every year. They also report on new research that shows how the altered activity of certain neural circuits in the brain may contribute to depression.

To that end, patients who are clinically depressed have markers that are visible in their EEG studies. We can see an imbalance in brainwave activity between the left and right hemispheres, called asymmetry. The MeRT protocol identifies the asymmetry and strengthens brainwave activity, which can reduce depression symptoms.

Personalized Treatment Plan

The treatment plan is highly individualized for each person, with the purpose of improved brain communication. This can lead to significant clinical improvements, and many are able to go off of their medications.*

* Results are based on active and strict observation of our regimens. Results may vary based on the individual user and are not guaranteed.

I’m back! I was depressed, mean, and short-tempered. I pushed through my life filled with frustration and a deep sense of sadness that this was it. I’m so glad I was wrong. I think my direct reports and family are even more thankful. This treatment changed everything, and I am forever thankful.”— 41-year-old male after going through 6 weeks of MeRT treatment

Meet Our Doctor

Jennifer J. Sosnowski, MD, FAAFP, ABoIM, IFMCP

“I try to meet each patient at the level they need – nurturing, guiding, directing or focusing them as they need me. I want people to have the ultimate in personalized, timely, accessible care. I want to surpass the patient’s ideals for excellent care and service, along with the knowledge to keep themselves healthy and away from doctor’s offices, so they can enjoy living.”

Board-Certified: Family Practice (ABFM); Integrative & Holistic Medicine (ABiHM); Integrative Medicine (ABoIM); Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (IFMCP) Fellow: American Academy of Family Physicians

Depression Treatment with MeRT: What to Expect on your First Visit

Starting as a new patient at MVP Medical Care initially involves two appointments, each lasting about 45 minutes to an hour. Your first appointment is for testing, and your second appointment is for your consultation with Dr. Sosnowski. For patients who prefer to have their first and second appointments before deciding to move forward with treatment, we are happy to work with you on this. Your MeRT treatment will involve the following steps:

Evaluation

The first step of treatment is to perform a qEEG (quantitative Electroencephalogram) and EKG. It’s important to note that these tests are simple and painless: We place a cap on your head to measure the electrical activity in your brain and map out any areas not performing as they should. At the same time, we also place a lead on your chest to capture the EKG data.

Analysis & Protocol

Once we’ve completed your initial tests, we send the data to our scientists and clinical teams. Along with Dr. Sosnowski, they carefully analyze the test results to identify any dysregulation occurring in your brain. Then, based on their analysis, we develop a treatment plan customized to your specific condition and schedule your assessment period of treatment.

Following your qEEG and EKG, your second appointment is a consultation with Dr. Sosnowski. She will answer any questions you may have and let you know more about what to expect during your assessment period of treatment. She will also go over your medical history, along with symptoms.

Assessment Period and Evaluation

The assessment period is vital to determine if MeRT will achieve results for your specific condition. Therefore, this treatment period lasts for two weeks. Treatment for the first week occurs Monday through Friday, followed by the second week of treatment on Monday through Thursday.

If you are traveling from out of town, we aim to schedule your qEEG/EKG on a Friday, then your consultation and first treatment session for the following Monday.

After two weeks of treatment, we perform an additional qEEG and EKG to track your progress and make any needed modifications. We also monitor your progress throughout your daily treatments to confirm how you feel and track any improvements.

Once we complete the appropriate assessment period and you are noting improvements in brain function, we will schedule additional MeRT treatment for two weeks at a time.

At the end of every two weeks, we will perform an additional qEEG/EKG to monitor your progress. You will then consult with Dr. Sosnowski to confirm that changes are still showing on the testing.

Most conditions treated with MeRT provide noticeable and long-lasting results after four to eight weeks of treatment. However, each patient is different, and the results may vary.

MeRT Treatment

Once your treatment protocols are in place, you will come to therapy five days a week, at two-week intervals. All you need to do is sit in a comfortable chair while a highly trained neuro-technician places a magnetic coil on your head. This device produces a low-frequency magnetic field to induce mild electrical signals in the targeted areas of the brain.

The stimulation occurs for six to eight seconds every minute. You will be required to close your eyes during that six-to-eight-second period. Additionally, you will typically spend 30 to 45 minutes in the chair each day.

Insurance Coverage and Payment Options

While MeRT treatment isn’t generally covered by insurance, we are happy to provide you with the appropriate paperwork at the end of your treatment. You can then submit the paperwork to your insurance company to see if they will provide you with any reimbursement.

Currently, rTMS is FDA cleared for Depression and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Therefore, in some cases, we may be able to help you with your insurance company if you are seeking treatment for those issues. Additionally, some patients have reported that they have received some reimbursement for EEGs or clinical evaluations and treatment when treating Major Depressive Disorder, depending on their health coverage. However, Medicare patients have reported that their coverage provides no reimbursement for MeRT. And for non-FDA cleared treatment, it is unlikely that your insurance company will provide you with any reimbursement for MeRT.

We take all major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Care Credit is also an option to assist in financing medical expenses. This is a separate company from MVP Medical Care and is a credit card you can use to cover medical costs and services. Often, when you go to the Care Credit website and apply, they will let you know if you are approved very promptly.

Contact Our New Patient Coordinator for More Information

Since MeRT is a relatively new treatment, we understand that you may not be sure if this is right for you. And that’s completely okay. After all, you need to get all the information necessary to make the right decision for your health.

In order to get that information, your first step is a simple, no-obligation phone consultation with our New Patient Coordinator. During this consultation, you can discuss your symptoms and history, ask all the questions you want, and have her explain the protocols, fees, and treatment details.

Our goal is simply this: To help guide you through the healing process, so you achieve all the remarkable results MeRT has to offer. In fact, many clinicians and technicians employed by various clinics that offer MeRT have gone through treatment protocols themselves. They know first-hand what the treatment can do, and as a result, want you to heal as they have.

So, take a few minutes and talk to our New Patient Coordinator. She is here for you and truly wants to help.

Call Us Today. We are Here to Help.

Our New Patient Coordinator will take the time to answer your questions, listen to your concerns, and explain our procedures.

Call us: 480.588.7787

Or fill in the form below, and we will contact you.