19 Mar Do You Know About The New Non-Invasive Treatment For Tremor?
Millions of people across the globe are suffering from tremor – one of the most disabling and embarrassing ailments. The first elements that are affected include the hands – fingers and arms. Tremor makes it difficult for the patient to perform even the simplest of tasks like holding a pen, using a spoon, and driving. But, as and when the tremor increases and expands to the trunk and legs, it makes it difficult for the patient to keep balance, resulting in falls. In this way, patients may also get bedridden in the worst of scenarios!
Tremor treatment in UAE is generally done with the help of drugs like propranolol and primidone. However, these drugs can make people dizzy and unsteady. Another option is surgical – Deep Brain Stimulation. This process involves the deep implantation of electrodes into the thalamus of the brain to control muscle movement and tremor. These electrodes are connected to a pacemaker-like device that is implanted in the chest, which generates electric pulses to be delivered to the thalamus to block the tremor. This device works on a battery, which needs to be replaced every few years. Although this surgical option is effective, it is also highly invasive, and comes with a risk of infection.
Now, leaving behind medications and the surgical option, a new promising non-invasive treatment is being worked upon, which has actually been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in July 2016. This procedure uses magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound, with no incision, no electrodes, and no anesthesia. In this process, MR imaging is used to locate Ventralis Intermedius – a tiny section of the thalamus which is the source of tremor. This small segment is destroyed through the heat passed to it by focused ultrasound. Tremor can be reduced up to 50% through this procedure! However, just like medications and Deep Brain Stimulation, even this treatment has its own drawbacks. Because a part of the brain is killed with heat, the body anatomy of the patient is changed forever. Also, heated the thalamus may also affect other parts of the body, where abnormal sensations can be felt.
So, whichever procedure you choose to treat tremor, remember that along with cure comes risk too. And, another thing you must remember is that while medications and Deep Brain Stimulation is widely available, focused ultrasonography is not. This is because this new procedure has only been approved for essential tremor as of now, and not any other tremor signs. Therefore, until the procedure is approved as a therapy to be used for general tremors, you may have to stick with medications or Deep Brain Stimulation.
If you are a patient of Parkinson’s disease, it is always advisable to opt for Deep Brain Stimulation from someone professional like Dr. Shivam Mittal, who is known to provide the best tremor treatment in UAE. And, if you are a patient with essential tremor, and lucky enough to have access to a professional doctor providing focused ultrasonography, make sure to discuss this option with your doctor openly first, rather than just jumping for it.
