How does Deep Brain Stimulation help Essential Tremor patients?
DBS can dramatically reduce tremor in the arms and/or legs in patients with Essential Tremor. Head tremor or voice tremor can sometimes be improved as well, although usually not as dramatically as tremor in the limbs. DBS is considered as a treatment alternative for Essential Tremor patients whose symptoms cannot be managed successfully with medication therapy or who have intolerable side effects from medication therapy. Deep Brain Stimulation does not cure Essential Tremor, but it controls the symptoms (shaking). Some patients will elect to have the deep brain stimulator implanted on one side of the brain only- this controls the opposite side of the body. (example: a right handed person would have their left side of the brain implanted to control their right hand tremor). Other patients will elect to have bilateral deep brain stimulators.
