Essential tremor is a nervous system condition. It causes shaking you can’t control. It most often affects your hands, but it can also involve your head, voice, or legs. You may notice it when you try to write, hold a cup, or do tasks that require steady movement.

Essential tremor involves abnormal signals in the brain, in areas that control movement, like the cerebellum and thalamus.

Essential tremor isn't the same as Parkinson's disease, though the two can look similar. Tremor from essential tremor usually gets worse when you move, while Parkinson’s tremor tends to happen when you’re at rest.

This condition can run in families. You may also hear it called familial tremor. It usually gets worse over time, but the right treatment can help you take back control. We’ll help you understand your options, from medicine for tremors to advanced procedures like focused ultrasound.

We treat tremor in many ways. You may start with medicine for tremors, like beta-blockers or anti-seizure drugs. These help some people manage shaking. If your symptoms persist, we may suggest procedures like focused ultrasound or deep brain stimulation.

• Medicine for shaking: First-line treatments to reduce symptoms.
• Focused ultrasound: Noninvasive procedure for essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s. It doesn’t require surgery. We use imaging to guide sound waves deep into your brain. This creates a tiny lesion in the area causing the tremor.
• Deep brain stimulation: During a surgery, the doctor places a small device in your brain to help control your tremors.
• Therapy for essential tremor: We may suggest rehab therapy or special tools to improve daily life.

We’ll meet with you to review your symptoms, imaging, and medical history. If focused ultrasound is the right option, we’ll guide you through every step.

You may be a good fit for focused ultrasound if:

• You have essential tremor or tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease
• Tremor keeps you from doing daily tasks like eating, writing, or working
• Medicine no longer controls your symptoms
• You’re healthy enough to lie still for an MRI and undergo a short outpatient procedure

We start by getting to know your symptoms. You’ll meet with a neurologist and neurosurgeon and may need imaging or other tests. If medicine no longer helps, we’ll talk with you about next steps.

If we suggest focused ultrasound, here’s what to expect:

• Before treatment, you get an MRI so we can plan exactly where to treat.
• During treatment, you stay awake. We don’t make any cuts or use anesthesia. It takes about 90 minutes.
• After treatment, most people feel results right away and go home the same day.