Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Neurosurgery >
  • ... >
  • Brain >
  • Treatments >
  • Movement Disorders & Epilepsy Treatments >
  • Focused Ultrasound
Neurosurgery
About Us
Contact Us
Conditions and Treatments
Brain
Conditions
Treatments
Endoscopic Endonasal Approach
Image Guided Neurosurgery
Transorbital Approach
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Neuroendoport Surgery
Microsurgery
Endovascular Surgery
Microvascular Decompression
Movement Disorders & Epilepsy Treatments
Deep Brain Stimulation
Adult Epilepsy Surgery
Focused Ultrasound
Brain Mapping
Spine Neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Meet the Neurosurgery Experts
Patient Stories
Classes, Events, & News
Neurocirugia
Neurosurgery
About Us
Contact Us
Conditions and Treatments
Brain
Conditions
Treatments
Endoscopic Endonasal Approach
Image Guided Neurosurgery
Transorbital Approach
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Neuroendoport Surgery
Microsurgery
Endovascular Surgery
Microvascular Decompression
Movement Disorders & Epilepsy Treatments
Deep Brain Stimulation
Adult Epilepsy Surgery
Focused Ultrasound
Brain Mapping
Spine Neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Meet the Neurosurgery Experts
Patient Stories
Classes, Events, & News
Neurocirugia

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor

Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive procedure to treat essential tremor, which can cause involuntary shaking in many parts of the body.

Focused ultrasound for essential tremor uses focused, high-intensity ultrasound beams to target the area of the brain causing tremors. Between 30 and 40 beams converge on a tiny area in the brain.

The treatment is highly accurate and effective. Most people see their tremors reduced or eliminated right away.

At an experienced center like the UPMC Neurological Institute, focused ultrasound has excellent outcomes.

On this page:

  • What Is Focused Ultrasound?
  • Who Is a Candidate?
  • What Should I Expect from Focused Ultrasound?
  • Schedule an Appointment

What Is Focused Ultrasound?

Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive treatment for essential tremor. It uses focused ultrasound waves to ablate — remove through burning — the area of the brain causing tremors, creating a lesion.

Focused ultrasound may be an option for people who have not seen improvement after trying multiple medications for essential tremor.

The treatment combines MRI and ultrasound technology to target the precise area of the brain causing tremors. Bilateral focused ultrasound can treat essential tremor on both sides of the body.

The procedure requires no incisions. People can expect quick results and a fast recovery.

Conditions we treat with focused ultrasound

The goal of focused ultrasound is to relieve tremors and other symptoms. An essential tremor causes rapid involuntary shaking, generally more than five times a second.

Back to Top


Why Would I Need Focused Ultrasound?

Essential tremors cause involuntary shaking that can affect various parts of the body. These tremors can make it difficult to walk, talk, or perform other daily tasks.

Focused ultrasound is not a cure for essential tremor. But it can provide quick relief from symptoms — and many people still see improvement years after the procedure.

Benefits of focused ultrasound include:

  • No general anesthesia — You are awake throughout the procedure.
  • No hospital stay — You can go home after the procedure.
  • No incisions — The procedure uses ultrasound and MRI technology. There are no cuts.
  • Precise treatment — Ultrasound waves target a 2-millimeter area, which is about the size of a standard pencil lead.
  • Quick procedure — The treatment takes one to two hours to complete.
  • Quick recovery — People typically return to normal activities within a day or two.
  • Quick results — People generally see improved symptoms during the procedure itself.

Who is a candidate for focused ultrasound?

To be a candidate for focused ultrasound, you must:

  • Be over 18 years of age.
  • Be diagnosed with essential tremor.
  • Have tried multiple medications without relief of your tremors.

In addition, you may be a candidate for focused ultrasound if you are not a candidate for deep brain stimulation. For example, if you are on blood thinners or cannot tolerate general anesthesia, focused ultrasound may help you.

You are not a candidate for focused ultrasound if you cannot:

  • Tolerate an MRI — for example, if you have metal in your body — or if you have poor bone density.
  • Lie still for an extended period of time.

Alternatives to focused ultrasound

The first-line treatment option for essential tremor is medication. But if you have tried multiple medications and still suffer from tremors, you may be a candidate for focused ultrasound.

Other potential treatment options include:

Deep brain stimulation.
Gamma Knife® radiosurgery.

Back to Top


What Are the Risks and Complications of Focused Ultrasound?

The biggest potential risk of focused ultrasound is creating a lesion in an incorrect area of the brain and affecting brain and motor function. To help prevent this complication, your care team will perform multiple safety checks.

You may also feel side effects during and after the procedure. During the procedure, you may feel side effects like dizziness, nausea, and pain. These are generally mild, and your team will be there to take care of you.

Side effects after the procedure may include:

  • Balance issues when walking.
  • Changes in the ability to taste.
  • Headache.
  • Numbness or tingling in your lips, mouth, tongue, or other parts of your body.
  • Scalp irritation.
  • Slurred speech.

These side effects are generally mild and subside within a couple of weeks of the procedure.

Back to Top


What Should I Expect from Focused Ultrasound?

Before: How to prepare for focused ultrasound

Before the procedure, you will have a full neurological workup with a neurosurgeon. A member of our team will thoroughly explain the procedure and answer any questions you have. You will also have an MRI and CT scan, as well as a bone density study based on the CT.

Once you are scheduled for focused ultrasound, your team will give you instructions on how to prepare.

If you are on any medications, including blood thinners or prescriptions for your essential tremor, you may have to stop taking them before the procedure. You also should not eat anything after midnight the night before your procedure.

Your team will tell you when to arrive, where to go, and what to wear on the day of the procedure. To avoid complications with the MRI machine, you will have to remove anything metal, such as jewelry, watches, and glasses.

Focused ultrasound is an outpatient procedure that does not require a hospital stay. You should arrange transportation home for yourself after the procedure.

How long does focused ultrasound take?

The focused ultrasound procedure takes one to two hours.

Back to Top


During your focused ultrasound

You will first go to a prep room. Your team will place an IV to deliver any medication you may need before or during the procedure. You will not be under general anesthesia, as you will be awake, but should not experience much pain.

A member of your care team will completely shave your head to avoid any disturbance of the ultrasound waves. The team will give you local anesthesia — numbing medication — on your scalp. They then will attach a frame to hold your head in place during the procedure.

Your team will also attach a crown-like device to your head. This device is filled with cool water and includes ultrasound transmitters. It allows your neurosurgeon to see the coordinates of every point within the brain.

You will then go to the focused ultrasound treatment area. You will lie down on a table that will move in and out of an MRI machine. Your neurosurgeon will be at a computer that enables them to see images of your brain and control the ultrasound beams.

First, your neurosurgeon will create a "test lesion" on the target area of your brain. The test lesion raises the temperature enough to make the neurons stop working in the target area but not high enough to create a permanent lesion. They then test your tremor to ensure they are in the right place.

Once your neurosurgeon is satisfied they have the correct target, they will raise the intensity of the ultrasound waves. The higher intensity will increase the temperature in that area of your brain enough to create a lesion. They will then move you out of the MRI machine and test your tremor by having you write your name, draw a spiral, or do another task.

If your tremor is significantly reduced, the procedure is finished. If not, the team can repeat their actions up to three times. Most people will see at least some improvement in their tremors during the procedure.

Recovery after focused ultrasound

After the procedure, your team will remove the frame and the crown-like device from your scalp. You then will move to an observation area for a couple of hours. Your team will monitor your vitals and ensure you are well enough to go home.

What is recovery like at home after focused ultrasound?

You may notice some temporary side effects, such as balance problems when walking, a loss of taste, and numbness. These side effects generally go away within a couple of weeks.

You should notice an improvement in your tremor during and immediately after the procedure. It may take a couple of weeks for you to feel the full effect.

How soon can I get back to my normal routine?

You should be back to a normal lifestyle within a few days to a week after focused ultrasound.

What do I need to avoid, and for how long?

You should talk with your doctor about when you can do exercises and other activities, as those depend on your condition.

How often will I need to follow-up with my doctor?

You will have a follow-up appointment with your neurosurgeon two weeks to a month after the procedure. A few months later, you will have a follow-up MRI of your brain. You will continue to have regular follow-ups with your neurology team.

If you are having focused ultrasound on both sides of your brain, you will have to wait at least a month between procedures.

When to call your doctor about complications

Most side effects after focused ultrasound are minor and subside within a few weeks. You should call your doctor if your side effects do not go away or worsen.

What is the prognosis of focused ultrasound?

Most people begin to see an improvement in their tremors during their treatment and continue to see improvement afterward. People may see up to an 80% improvement with their tremors.

However, while focused ultrasound can improve your tremors, it is not a cure for essential tremor. Over several years, your tremors may return. You should consult your neurosurgeon to see if you are a candidate for another focused ultrasound treatment when this occurs.

Back to Top


Why Choose UPMC for Focused Ultrasound?

UPMC is one of a limited number of U.S. hospitals offering focused ultrasound for essential tremor. You can expect excellent outcomes from this procedure.

UPMC’s Comprehensive Movement Disorders Clinic, part of the UPMC Neurological Institute, is a national leader in clinical care and research. We offer comprehensive care for a wide range of movement disorders. Our team creates an individualized care plan for you that ensures you are getting the best care possible.

Schedule an Appointment

Fill out the form below to schedule an appointment.

I understand that by providing my email address, I agree to receive emails from UPMC. I understand that I may opt out of receiving such communications at any time.

loading image

Please Wait

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login