What Are The Treatment Options For Essential Tremors?

For many patients exploring essential tremor treatment in Indianapolis, the goal is simple: Find an approach that improves daily function while aligning with personal preferences and long-term goals. The right path forward depends on how much your tremor affects your quality of life and how your condition responds to supportive care.

Not every patient with essential tremor will need surgical intervention. In earlier stages, or when symptoms are still manageable, nonsurgical care can play an important role in maintaining independence and confidence in daily activities.

Physical and occupational therapy are often part of this approach. Occupational therapists focus on strategies and tools that make daily activities such as eating, writing, and dressing easier, while physical therapists may address balance, mobility, and movement challenges. While these therapies do not treat the neurological root cause, they can meaningfully improve function and quality of life.

For many patients, essential tremor management begins with medications that can help reduce tremor severity and improve function. Commonly used medications may include propranolol or primidone, along with other options that may be considered based on a patient’s symptoms, overall health, and treatment goals.

Medications do not eliminate essential tremor for everyone, and some patients may continue to experience symptoms that interfere with daily activities despite medical therapy.

Patients with essential tremor may benefit from occupational therapy, particularly when tremor begins to interfere with daily activities such as eating, writing, dressing, or work-related tasks. Occupational therapists can provide strategies, adaptive tools, and techniques to help patients maintain independence and improve quality of life.

Therapy is most helpful as part of a coordinated treatment plan. For patients with moderate-to-severe tremor or symptoms that significantly impact daily function, surgical treatment for essential tremor may offer more consistent symptom relief.

For patients whose tremor significantly interferes with daily life, surgical options may be the next step. These decisions are never one-size-fits-all. A thorough evaluation helps determine which approach aligns best with your condition, anatomy, and goals.

At Goodman Campbell, we offer two primary approaches:

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Deep brain stimulation essential tremor treatment has been a trusted clinical approach for more than 30 years. The procedure involves placing thin electrodes in a targeted area of the brain. These electrodes are connected to a small generator near the collarbone. The system delivers controlled electrical pulses to regulate abnormal signals. Because it can be adjusted over time, DBS offers flexibility as symptoms change.

Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS)

Also referred to as “MRI-guided focused ultrasound,” this incisionless, noninvasive treatment option uses focused ultrasound energy to precisely target the area responsible for tremor. The procedure takes place inside an MRI scanner, allowing real-time monitoring while the patient remains awake. Many patients experience improvement in tremor symptoms following the treatment, and no implanted device is required. 

Both DBS and focused ultrasound can provide meaningful tremor reduction, but the patient experience differs.

DBS involves placement of an implanted device that delivers electrical stimulation to targeted areas of the brain. Because stimulation settings can be adjusted over time, DBS offers flexibility as symptoms change and may be particularly beneficial for patients with bilateral tremor or evolving treatment needs. Stimulation can be modified, turned off, or adjusted as needed.

Focused ultrasound, by contrast, is an incisionless treatment that does not require implanted hardware, making it an appealing option for patients who prefer to avoid implants or who may not be candidates for implant-based surgery. Focused ultrasound is typically performed on one side of the brain at a time, which may be an important consideration for patients with tremor affecting both sides of the body. In patients who may benefit from treatment on both sides, a second procedure may be considered after recovery and follow-up, commonly around nine months or more after the initial treatment. 

Choosing between these options is not a decision to make independently. Rely on your care team to help guide you to the best decision for your case.

We provide access to an experienced essential tremor care team focused on individualized treatment planning.

Goodman Campbell is a global leader in brain and spine care. For over 50 years, we have been treating adult and pediatric conditions of the brain, spine, and nervous system. Our neurosurgeons bring a depth of expertise that directly impacts outcomes across all treatment options.

We treat both straightforward and complex cases, and patients do not need to be at an advanced stage to benefit from a consultation. Every patient is evaluated individually, ensuring recommendations are tailored to their specific condition, lifestyle, and goals, rather than being limited by a single approach.

Patients and referring providers also benefit from direct access to their care team. For many individuals and families across Indiana and beyond, access to our high level of specialized, research-driven care provides confidence that they’re exploring the most advanced, appropriate treatment options available.

To learn more about essential tremor and your treatment options, visit goodmancampbell.com/conditions/brain/functional/essential-tremor/, or request an appointment with Goodman Campbell functional neurosurgeon Mark Hoeprich, MD, by calling 317-338-9660.deep expertise in neurological conditions to every patient we see.

Our team includes highly specialized surgeons experienced in both straightforward and complex cases. Essential tremor patients don’t need to be at an advanced stage to benefit from evaluation; we see individuals at many points along their care journey.

If you’re searching for a doctor for an essential tremor specialist in Indianapolis who provides the best surgical options, request an appointment with us. Goodman Campbell functional neurosurgeon Mark Hoeprich, MD, see patients at Ascension St. Vincent – Indianapolis Functional Neurosurgery. To get started with our team, call 317-338-9660. Learn more about essential tremor options at Goodman Campbell today.