R BRINGING HAPPY BACK

achel Fleissner, MD Board Certified Psychiatrist has worked in Fargo since 1998. She has owned her own practice since 2006 after being awarded the Prestigious Bush Foundation Medical Fellowship to study Neuromodulation. In 2009 she was the first and only Psychiatrist to bring Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to North Dakota.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

In her career as a Psychiatrist, Dr. Rachel Fleissner has come upon many patients who just did not get better from their illnesses of Depression, Anxiety, PTSD with medications and therapy despite doing everything asked of them by their doctors. Too many patients could not tolerate the side effects of the medications and some just did not get better whatever medications they were prescribed. Due to her desire to “Bring Happy Back” to her patients, Dr. Rachel researched which new technologies were available.

Transcranial Magnetic Therapy (TMS)

FDA approved for patients with treatment resistant depression, TMS uses pulsating electromagnetic energy directed at every specific area of the brain activating brain circuits. The magnetic coil is placed on the scalp non-invasively and magnetic fields produce pulses of energy directly into the region of the brain responsible for depression. These healing pulses of energy are heard and felt as a tapping on the skull for the patient participating in the treatment. The sensation is very well tolerated with no systemic side effects. Patients come for each session returning to their daily activities immediately after each session. There is no sedation or anesthesia, and no change in cognition for the patients.

“Once I had read the amazing reports and success stories from this treatment modality I knew I had to bring this to Fargo and my practice.”

Happiness comes one patient at a time, watching people who have suffered with Depression, Anxiety, PTSD for many years get better is wonderful. Having the ability to treat patients in Fargo with the technology used at the major medical centers across the USA is something I am very proud of.

Treating the Brain as a Electrochemical Target

There are different brain regions that are known to be involved in mood regulation. The main brain areas include the pre-frontal cortex, the anterior cingulate gyrus and the amygdala. Brain activity can be altered either chemically by using drugs but since drugs act throughout the body (systemically) many people suffer from side effects that often limit them being able to tolerate the drugs. In addition over one-third of patients prescribed drugs for depression do not respond successfully to them. Brain activity can be altered electrically by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Using a pulsating electromagnetic field to treat a very specific area of the brain it can successfully treat patients who have not had success with medications. TMS is focused, noninvasive and non-systemic.

Rachel Fleissner, MD

2902 South University Drive Fargo, ND 58103 701-364-9723 www.DrMyRachel.com

Health is something we so often take for granted, until it is taken from us. This edition of Area Health takes a look at Judy Green, Anne Conway, and Sharon Joelson, three women that no longer take their own health for granted. Be sure to read about strokes in women, and get to know Sister Agatha Lucey, one of the women behind the scenes at Riverview Place.