Non-invasive therapy available for veterans
Harrison News-Herald Reporter
BARNESVILLE — Veterans and first responders have a new option in the valley for help with a variety of mental-health issues.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a non-invasive, painless, and drug-free therapy that can help with sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, substance-use disorders, mental illness, and sexual trauma.
Adena American Legion Commander Dirk Harkins is deeply involved in the program and explained that there are several studies that show long-term effectiveness. “It’s been FDA approved right now. This program in Ohio is a pilot program. … What we’re seeing as we’ve been doing this over the past few years is it’s been helping with [many issues],” he said. They’re working on getting information together about side effects and positive experiences to show the effectiveness of the program. “We’re under FDA guidance and we’re taking all the information and compiling all the veterans and first responders and proving it works.”
The treatment is specific and individualized. “Everybody is unique,” Harkins explained. “When we measure on the EEG, we’re taking a look at the brain. Everybody’s brain should be working with the highest peak on line 11 on a zero to 20 scale. So we take a 10-minute, eyes closed, EEG to take a look at 20 different parts of the brain. … Then it’s individualized for each person.”
He said it works as a quality of life treatment, “We notice in the first week everyone comes back saying they’re sleeping better.”
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, sleep disorders “are frequently some of the most troubling aspects of PTSD” and that “insomnia is reported to occur in 90-100% of Vietnam-era veterans with PTSD. Insomnia was also the most commonly reported PTSD symptom in a survey of veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Peer-to-Peer mentor Brian Majewski shared that he had seen results for his own sleep patterns. He showed a sleep tracking calendar from before he started the program with many restless (shown in red) and light sleep nights (yellow) compared to after he began using eTMS when the majority of nights grew to be restful.
“I don’t have any more reds since starting treatments,” he said.
While the treatment has immediately helped many with sleeping patterns, there have been results in other areas of patient’s lives as well. According to results from the Project Synchrony initiative, which was a collaboration between Wounded Warrior Project, Wave Neuroscience, Braincare Performance Center, and Brain Treatment Center, the PTSD checklist done by patients showed a 60% improvement compared to standard treatment options.
The program is fully state funded and is completely free to veterans and first responders. The program is not affiliated with the VA at all, so treatment will not effect disability or other services a veteran may be receiving.
If you are a veteran or you a know a veteran who could benefit from this treatment, anyone in the county can call 614-665-7905 or to speak to Majewski about the program, call 740-433-9233.
The treatment center in Barnesville is located at the WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital at 639 W. Main St.
Harkins says the treatment helped save his life. “I give God the credit for saving my life, but he definitely put me in the right place for this. I get to watch this change people’s lives every single day now,” he said.
