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Post-traumatic stress disorder can affect how safe you feel in your body, your relationships, your sleep, your concentration, and your ability to navigate daily life. Some adults with PTSD feel as if part of them is still always on high alert, even when they are no longer in immediate danger.
At The Mind Grove TMS Center, we evaluate adults with PTSD or suspected PTSD for TMS treatment. Megan Bowers, MD, PhD leads that evaluation personally. Dr. Bowers reviews your diagnosis, symptoms, treatment history, medications, safety considerations, and current care plan before making a recommendation.
For PTSD, TMS has a new FDA clearance using the MagVenture device when combined with EEG, using the MeRT protocol. Use of TMS for a primary diagnosis of PTSD (not co-morbid with MDD) is still considered an off-label treatment and is not yet FDA-cleared. TMS for PTSD, with or without EEG, is not covered by insurance.
PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms may begin soon after the trauma or appear several months later. For some adults, symptoms persist in ways that affect sleep, work, relationships, concentration, mood, or daily routines.
PTSD symptoms may include:
PTSD does not look the same for every patient, and symptoms can show up in unexpected ways, depending on the nature of the trauma, and how you’ve learned to cope with the traumatic experience.
Our approach is comprehensive and individualized – we begin with a careful evaluation rather than assuming that every trauma-related symptom should be approached the same way.
Military service members and veterans face a substantially higher risk of trauma exposure than the general population due to combat, training accidents, military sexual trauma, and other potentially life-threatening experiences. While most individuals demonstrate remarkable resilience, an estimated 11–20% of veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, approximately 15% of Vietnam veterans, and about 12–14% of combat-deployed service members experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point following deployment.
Colorado Springs is home to one of the nation’s largest military communities—including personnel and families associated with Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station—making trauma-related mental health concerns especially relevant in our community.
While TMS is currently an off-label treatment for PTSD, growing evidence suggests it may offer meaningful benefit for some individuals when medications and evidence-based psychotherapy have not provided sufficient relief.
If you are a service member, veteran, or military family member living with the effects of trauma, TMS may be worth exploring. Contact The Mind Grove to learn more about TMS and whether it may be an appropriate option for you, based on your symptoms, treatment history, and goals.
Many adults with PTSD begin treatment with therapy, medication, and other supports. For some patients, those approaches help but do not provide enough relief. For others, symptoms return, medication side effects limit options, or depression and anxiety symptoms complicate the clinical picture.
At The Mind Grove TMS Center, each individuals’ unique history is used to guide treatment recommendations. Dr. Bowers reviews what has helped, what has not helped enough, and whether augmentation with medication, TMS, or another intervention may be appropriate.
TMS is not the only treatment option for every adult with PTSD, and off-label care requires a clear discussion of the current evidence and its limits, safety, and the likely cost of off-label treatment.
A treatment recommendation begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. We discuss trauma-related symptoms in detail, co-occurring diagnoses, along with medical history, current and prior mental health treatment history, and safety considerations for TMS.
Dr. Bowers also considers whether symptoms are best understood as PTSD, PTSD with co-occurring depression or anxiety symptoms, another psychiatric condition, or a more complex clinical picture. Those distinctions can affect both treatment planning and coverage by insurance.
If TMS is being considered, we discuss what is known about TMS for PTSD, what remains uncertain, and what the practical treatment commitment would involve. If medication management or another clinical recommendation is a better fit, that will be discussed as well.
TMS is a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate targeted cortical areas. It does not require anesthesia or sedation, and patients remain awake during treatment.
Emerging research suggests rTMS may meaningfully reduce core PTSD symptoms. However, most trials to date have been small, and major guideline bodies have not yet formally endorsed rTMS for PTSD — meaning it’s a promising but still-emerging option rather than a first-line, guideline-backed treatment.
For PTSD, TMS has a new FDA clearance using the MagVenture device when combined with EEG, using the MeRT protocol.. Use of TMS for a primary diagnosis of PTSD (not co-morbid with MDD) is still considered an off-label treatment and is not yet FDA-cleared. TMS for PTSD, with or without EEG, is not covered by insurance.
For some adults, off-label TMS may still be reasonable to discuss after a careful evaluation. Dr. Bowers reviews the evidence, the limits of the evidence, your treatment history, and your clinical profile before recommending off-label TMS.
If off-label TMS is clinically appropriate, the recommended protocol depends on your diagnosis, safety profile, treatment history, schedule, and goals.
Our standard rTMS course typically includes daily treatments for four to six weeks, followed by a taper phase, for a total of 36 to 40 treatments A full course usually spans eight to ten weeks, and appointments are approximately 20 minutes.
iTBS is a form of rTMS that uses rapid theta-burst stimulation patterns. Each appointment is approximately 20 minutes, with about 3-10 minutes of stimulation.
Accelerated TMS uses iTBS or standard rTMS as its delivery method. Our Accelerated TMS protocol includes five sessions per day for six treatment days within a 14 day period, followed by 2 treatments per week, for a total of 36-40 treatments. Each appointment is approximately 20 minutes, with about 3-10 minutes of stimulation. Alternative accelerated schedules will be considered as well.
Medication can remain part of PTSD treatment when it supports the care plan. For some patients, that may mean continuing medication while other options are being considered. For others, the evaluation may clarify whether medication changes, off-label TMS, or another recommendation makes more sense.
If you already have a prescribing clinician, Dr. Bowers will collaborate with that provider when appropriate. If you don’t have a prescribing physician, Dr. Bowers is able to prescribe medications during your treatment course.
For PTSD, TMS has a new FDA clearance using the MagVenture device when combined with EEG, using the MeRT protocol. Use of TMS for a primary diagnosis of PTSD (not co-morbid with MDD) is still considered an off-label treatment and is not yet FDA-cleared. TMS for PTSD, with or without EEG, is not covered by insurance.
Colorado Medicaid does not cover TMS.
If off-label TMS is being considered, cost and protocol-specific details should be reviewed before treatment begins.
TMS treatment takes place in our Colorado Springs office. During treatment, you remain seated and awake while the magnetic coil is positioned near the scalp. No anesthesia or sedation is required, and patients can drive themselves after treatment.
The time commitment depends on the protocol:
If TMS is recommended, Dr. Bowers monitors progress using standardized screening tools and adjusts treatment planning when clinically appropriate.
Off-label use of TMS for PTSD should be approached thoughtfully. The decision to pursue TMS depends on safety screening, the current evidence and its limits, and whether TMS is a reasonable clinical fit. Cost and protocol-specific details are discussed before treatment begins.
The Mind Grove TMS Center is physician-led by Megan Bowers, MD, PhD, a dual ABPN board-certified psychiatrist in Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Her background spans developmental genetics, neurobiology, and clinical psychiatry.
At The Mind Grove, that training informs how adults with PTSD are evaluated, and which treatments are recommended . Dr. Bowers makes it clear when a treatment is off-label, and discusses medication and other interventions when they remain clinically useful. We use MagVenture technology for TMS treatment.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. TMS is not appropriate for every patient or every condition. TMS for PTSD is off-label and is not FDA-cleared for PTSD. A licensed clinician must evaluate symptoms, medical history, diagnosis, medications, and safety considerations before making treatment recommendations. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, seek emergency care immediately.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric condition that can develop after a traumatic event. Symptoms may include intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance of trauma reminders, negative changes in mood or thinking, feeling detached or numb, sleep disruption, irritability, hypervigilance, or difficulty concentrating.
Generally, no. TMS for PTSD, with or without EEG, is not covered by insurance. Colorado Medicaid does not cover TMS.
Yes. Medication can remain part of PTSD care when it supports the treatment plan. Dr. Bowers may incorporate augmentation with medication when clinically appropriate.
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