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
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
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
Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder, affecting an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. It recognizes no geographic boundaries. From the island of Manhattan to remote islands in the South Seas, abnormal hand, arm, head and voice tremors affect their sufferers’ quality of life. It used to be thought that ET […] CONTINUE
What Causes Essential Tremor? Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder. It is characterized by involuntary rhythmic shaking of the hands, arms, head, voice or other areas of the body. It may be more pronounced during a deliberate action, such as reaching for something, buttoning a shirt, combing hair, etc. It is not […] CONTINUE
Essential Tremor and CAM, Part I: Acupuncture and Pharmacopuncture I thought it would be interesting to do a small series of blogs on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for essential tremor (ET). Standard medicine (also called Western, allopathic, mainstream or conventional medicine) was slow to embrace CAM until roughly the last four decades, and […] CONTINUE
First Center to Treat Two ET Patients with MRgFUS on the Same Day The Sperling Medical Group is the first U.S. center to have treated two essential tremor (ET) patients on the same day using MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS). What was truly remarkable was the immediate improvement experienced by each of the patients. In one […] CONTINUE
Essential Tremor and CAM, Part II: Vitamins As I wrote in Part I of this series, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) developed a large following during the last three or four decades. There is considerable interest in the preventive or therapeutic properties of substances such as herbs or mushrooms that occur naturally, and healing practices […] CONTINUE
Can the Mediterranean Diet Reduce Tremor Risk? “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” The first known use of this adage occurred in Wales in the 1860s, but apples have a respectable history of being recognized as a support for healthful living. While some foods can […] CONTINUE
Have You Ever Measured Your Own Tremor? NOTE: The following is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any product. Describing essential tremor (ET) is either objective or subjective. What’s the difference? Well, objective means based in fact, so it’s able to be measured or quantified. Subjective means more open to interpretation, often based […] CONTINUE
Essential Tremor Asymmetry Does Not Have a Family Pattern Essential tremor consists of involuntary rhythmic shaking that most often appears when a person is making a deliberate action, such as reaching for a glass of water. This is called action tremor, whereas rest tremors may happen while a person is sitting still but they are […] CONTINUE
New Form of Alcohol May Harmlessly Improve Essential Tremor According to the International Essential Tremor Foundation, drinking alcohol as a way to self-medicate essential tremor (ET) gets mixed reviews: “Adults with ET often notice that responsibly drinking alcohol – having one or two drinks before social events for example – reduces tremor for one to […] CONTINUE
Reflections on Essential Tremor “Hacks” The word “hack” has numerous definitions, but one of the more recent comes from urban slang: a quick solution that solves a problem, but does not solve it particularly well, or in a particularly good way. In fact, there are many “hacks” or that work just fine because they are […] CONTINUE
