Sperling Medical Group

Category: Essential Tremor

Facet Pain

Landmark clinical study shows MRgFUS effective for bone mets pain.

A Landmark Study on Palliation of Bone Mets PainWhen a primary cancer such as cancer of the breast, prostate or lung spreads to the bone (bone mets), treatment strategies become complex. In today’s world of oncology, better systemic chemotherapies can add months and even years to a patient’s life; in addition, local cancer control of […] KEEP READING

Understanding cartilage increases awareness of its importance.

What You Should Know About CartilageOne of the most fascinating components of the human body is cartilage, an incredibly versatile material. Trying to describe cartilage is like the six blind men who try to figure out what an elephant is: “The elephant is like a pillar,” said the man who touched his leg. “Oh no! […] KEEP READING

Essential tremor gets worse in stressful situations.

How Stress Makes Essential Tremor WorseEssential tremor (ET) is the most common form of uncontrollable rhythmic shaking, though it is sometimes misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease. The involuntary trembling results from abnormal communication between certain areas of the brain (cerebellum, thalamus, and brain stem). It is estimated that 10 million Americans suffer from ET, though many […] KEEP READING

Patient’s ET Treatment Success Makes the News

For 79-year old Karl Weidamann, a patient suffering with essential tremor (ET), beaming sound waves into his brain produced a result that must have seemed miraculous. It stopped the dominant hand tremor that had plagued him for 15 years. Now he can once again sign his name clearly, feed himself soup without embarrassing splashes, and […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

Essential Tremor is No Laughing Matter…or Is It?

People who suffer from essential tremor (ET), a non-life threatening but progressive condition, are aware of how others react to them. If their hands shake, they are often wrongly perceived anxious or clumsy. If side-to-side shaking affects their head, it looks like they are saying “no” before the other person has to chance to complete […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

Patient’s ET Treatment Success Makes the News

For 79-year old Karl Weidamann, a patient suffering with essential tremor (ET), beaming sound waves into his brain produced a result that must have seemed miraculous. It stopped the dominant hand tremor that had plagued him for 15 years. Now he can once again sign his name clearly, feed himself soup without embarrassing splashes, and […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

5 Common Side Effects of Beta Blockers for Essential Tremor

When essential tremor (ET) is early and mild, symptoms generally don’t interfere with daily tasks. If symptoms worsen, medication may be prescribed to reduce the speed (frequency) and amplitude (size) of motion. One type of drug used to control ET is called a beta blocker. As the name suggests, the action of the drug blocks […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

8 Symptoms of Essential Tremor

Essential tremor (ET) is a condition characterized by involuntary shaking or trembling of an affected body part. There are several circumstances and medical conditions that can cause this type of movement, some more severe than others. For example, tremors can happen temporarily when a person is anxious, after long-term exposure to a toxic substance, such […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

Are Hand Tremors Embarrassing During Eating? A Device Might Help

One of the most embarrassing effects of essential tremor (ET) is the inability to control one’s hands during intentional movement. Medication to control movement only works for about half of people, and its effect can diminish over time. Daily acts that most people take for granted, like engaging a zipper or sipping coffee, become nerve-wracking […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

Can MRgFUS Help if it’s Not Essential Tremor?

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder. It is estimated that 10 million people in the U.S. alone live with this progressive condition. ET is 20 times more prevalent than Parkinson’s disease – another cause of tremors – yet Parkinson’s disease is in the public eye far more than ET. When a person […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

Patient’s ET Treatment Success Makes the News

For 79-year old Karl Weidamann, a patient suffering with essential tremor (ET), beaming sound waves into his brain produced a result that must have seemed miraculous. It stopped the dominant hand tremor that had plagued him for 15 years. Now he can once again sign his name clearly, feed himself soup without embarrassing splashes, and […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

Does Essential Tremor Have Stages?

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder, involving rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, or voice in over 90% of cases (other body parts can also be affected). When symptoms first appear, may patients fear that they have Parkinson’s disease, a serious degenerative disorder that moves through worsening stages as brain cells die […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor

3 Advantages (and 1 Disadvantage) of MRgFUS for Parkinson’s Disease Tremors

In 2016, Forbes Magazine carried an article on MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) for essential tremor (ET). Citing positive results from clinical trials, the article explained that “The treatment doesn’t require any implants, incisions or ionizing radiationi.” As the news spread, Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients who also suffer from tremors wondered if MRgFUS could eliminate their […] CONTINUE

CATEGORY:
Essential Tremor