Deep Brain Stimulation for Essential Tremor
Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region

Deep Brain Stimulation for Essential Tremor
Tremor refers to the rhythmic shaking of a body part. There are more than 20 different kinds of tremor. Essential tremor, or ET, is the most common.

ET usually affects the hands, but it may also affect the head and neck (causing shaking), face, jaw, tongue, voice (causing a shaking or quivering sound), the trunk and, rarely, the legs and feet. The tremor may be a rhythmic "back-and-forth" or "to-and-fro" movement produced by involuntary (unintentional) contractions of the muscle. Severity of the tremors can vary greatly from hour to hour and day to day.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been approved for market release for unilateral (one side) implant for tremor in an upper extremity. It is one of the most significant and innovative advancement in the treatment of essential tremor.

Deep brain stimulation for tremor control safely and effectively manages the tremor associated with essential tremor (ET) for appropriately selected and managed patients. DBS Tremor Control Therapy is used for people whose drugs are ineffective for controlling their disabling tremor due to ET. Patients must have a disabling tremor of an upper extremity and the tremor must constitute a significant disability. All patient factors are taken into consideration by a doctor before a determination is made.

DBS offers adjustable, reversible, non-drug treatment for motor symptoms of movement disorders that offers patients greater freedom to live and work. It can have a profound effect on the lives of people with ET by improving their motor control. It can also improve the lives of their caregivers by reducing the burden posed by their loved one’s disorder and resulting disability.