Can My Essential Tremor be Cured?

This is a great question!

The short answer is not right now. However, being the optimistic person I am, I would say yes - meaning that I think we will find good solutions to Essential Tremor (ET) in the future. Here, we will discuss what is available right now for medical treatments, but know that I think there are things that you can do right now to help your tremor.

ET is one of the most common movement disorders, affecting millions worldwide. Despite its prevalence, there is still no definitive cure for ET. I know this is frustrating and can sometimes make those of us with ET feel helpless. However, understanding the latest research, treatment options, and supportive measures can empower you to manage your symptoms and improve your life.

Understanding Essential Tremor

Essential Tremor is characterized by involuntary, rhythmic shaking, typically affecting the hands, but it can also impact the arms, head, voice, and less commonly, the legs. ET usually manifests itself during movement and not at rest. It affects both the young and the old.

ET usually gets worse with time. The exact cause of ET is not fully understood, but research more and more is showing that it is a neurodegenerative disease. This means the nerve cells in the brain (specifically the cerebellum) are degenerating/breaking down.
This is serious news! This means that if you have ET, the brain could be in danger. Thus, it becomes very important to take really good care of your brain and health.

Current Treatments

Medications

While there is no cure for ET, several medications can help manage its symptoms. The most commonly prescribed include beta-blockers (such as propranolol) and anti-seizure medications (such as primidone). These drugs can reduce the tremors, though they vary in effectiveness from person to person and may come with side effects. I know I took propranolol for years and ended up with side effects (depression, weight gain and exercise intolerance) that led to me stopping the medicine.

There are other anti-seizure, beta-blockers, and benzodiazepines that have been used with varying degrees of success. The good news is that there are some new medicines that are in the development stage that are showing some potential promise.

Surgical Interventions

When medicine is not working and tremor is becoming very severe, then surgical options may be considered:

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS): This procedure involves implanting a device into the brain that sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain. Some people get incredible results with this. However, surgery is a big step, and there are potential side effects from the surgery itself. Also, the stimulator in the brain can give some people unwanted effects.

Radio-frequency thalamotomy: This is a surgery that involves using heat to destroy a focused area of the thalamus of the brain. This leads to a reduction in tremor. This procedure can also have some permanent unwanted outcomes.

Focused Ultrasound: This does not involve actual surgery, but involves a focused ultrasound wave that destroys a targeted area (part of the thalamus) of the brain. By producing a lesion in this area of the brain, many people are able to reduce their tremors. There can also be unwanted permanent effects with this procedure.

Tremor Devices

There are devices that have been developed to help stimulate the nervous system in a way to help reduce tremor. These devices use vibration or stimulate the nerves through the skin. There are other devices that are under development.

Cala: This is an FDA approved device that is worn for a few minutes every day. It can help reduce the severity of tremor.

Vilim Ball: This is a vibrating ball held in the hand for 10 min 3 times per day. It is a newer device and has not been extensively studied. It is helping many people reduce their tremor.

Other devices: There are many other devices that are being developed and being studied. So keep your eyes open for other options in the future.

Innovative Research and Future Directions

Our current medical therapies and devices are all steps forward. Researchers are continually exploring new treatments and interventions that could one day lead to a cure.

My hope is that we will move our research away from just symptom relief and really dig into finding and reversing root causes of Essential Tremor.

Shake Free Method

Research is great, but what can you do right now! At Shake Free, we teach our clients how to improve their health and retrain their brain to help improve tremor and slow down the progression of ET. Living an Unshakable life involves taking responsibility for and investing your health, your brain and your dreams.

There are things that you can do now to help your brain and your tremor! The first step is to change how you think about the tremor - tremor is not who you are. You have greatness in you, that you need to give to the world.

Lifestyle plays a huge role in your brain health. Make sure you are getting sleep, eating a healthy diet, moving your body every day and getting connected socially to the people you love.

Conclusion

While a definitive cure for Essential Tremor remains in the future, there are things you can be doing right now to manage the condition. Make sure you are working with healthcare providers that you trust. Know that we are also here to help and support you.  Learn more at www.shakefree.org

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