Ten million people in the United States shake due to essential tremor. It is a syndrome with no cure yet. Medications and procedures can calm some tremors, but not all. Those of us with ET have to learn to live with it and find unique ways to deal with it.
 
My essential tremor reared its ugly head during my freshman year at college. No insecure, very shy, introverted girl wants to hear a voice behind her say, “Hey, girl, what’s wrong with you? Are you scared?” No, I wasn’t scared, just having a tremor beginning from an unknown source and terribly embarrassed.
As with most cases, my ET progressed. My head shivered back and forth as if I were constantly telling everyone, “No, no.” Nevertheless, I incorporated it into my life and prayed each day that IT wouldn’t be noticeable or IT would go away. I got married, had a daughter, taught school for twenty-seven years, and at the age of 48 retired early and enrolled in seminary. Not because I wanted to become a student again, but because God was calling me. After graduation I was ordained and pastored in six different churches in twenty-four years. Yes, I stood in front of classrooms and congregations to teach and preach. I explained ET, but didn’t dwell on it. Sixty years of tremors in my head and now it is starting in my hands. Many of you can relate to that.
 
One of my most embarrassing ET moments was at age 75 sitting next to my 104-year-old mother-in-law at her assisted living home. We were listening to an older man entertaining the small crowd with music. After a short time he told everyone to lift their hands and sway them side to side. My mother-in-law and I chose not to follow the instructions. He looked at me, saw my essential tremor head indicating no, no, and he stopped singing. He said, “No, we can’t do that! She says no.” I tried to hold my head steadier with little success. Several more times he stopped and pointed at me, so everyone turned to stare and see who was “disobeying.” Embarrassment and a little bit of anger. After the performance I did talk to him quietly. It may have embarrassed him, but I hoped he would not do that with anyone else in his audiences. Ten years ago I would have kept quiet and told myself to “suck it up, cupcake.” Not anymore.
 
Do you wonder why we don’t see many others with essential tremor in stores or on the sidewalk? Where are the other 9,999,999 of us? The best place to find others is in a support group.
 
After my second retirement, I began in earnest to write fiction books. I have two fictional series, several stand-alone books, devotionals and Bible studies, and one children’s picture book.

​ 
It took me 3 years and 7 doctors to figure out what was wrong with me.

My name is Theresa McFadden and this is my ET Story

I started with internal tremors, so I didn't know how to explain what was wrong with me (because I never heard of such a thing, no one in my family had it). I was diagnosed with anxiety (well who wouldn't have anxiety not knowing what was going on with your own body), depression (I wasn't depressed just worried) Went to see my 6th doctor who was trying really hard to find out what was wrong. My next visit I went because my voice started with a "quiver". So he was thinking MS (but that was questionable). He sent me to the RIGHT Neurologist. I lived on the couch for 3 years and thanks to my Neurologist I have some what of a life back.


Our Stories Living with ET

​“No one knows Essential Tremors better than those who are living with it.” 

Stress & Anxiety living with Essential Tremor (ET)
Living with ET can be a social nightmare. Being out in public can be embarrassing and cause more stress and anxiety. Simple things like holding a glass, eating, and even walking with balance issues can make you feel uncomfortable.

The answer for most people is to try to hide their tremoring hands or just stay home.

So how do you manage your life after ET invades and takes over your body?

• One of the first things is to relax. Easier said than done, well it doesn’t have to be that difficult. Stop trying to hide your tremors and tell people what ET is. Take time for yourself and find a spot where you feel calm.

 

• Try not to put yourself in uncomfortable situations. Try to prepare. Think about if you are going to lunch with friends have one of them assist you. If you have a doctor appointment have someone fill out the paperwork ahead of time or ask a nurse to help. Do not be afraid to ask for help.

 

• Join a local support group if you can. That will help you socialize and take away some of the anxiety and stress going out. If you don’t have a local ET group join an online group. Team DSF does have a private Facebook support group.
• Essential Tremor Worldwide Support Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/228566427550821/

 

•  Last but not least. Laughter can be the best medicine. Relax and don’t think everyone is laughing at you but you can let them  laugh with you. The old joke that living with ET you have to have your green peas with mash potatoes does ring true. It is also alright to use a form of a sippy cup when you are out in public.

 
What works for some may not work for everyone when you are dealing with stress & Anxiety.

Take time to find what works best for you. Don’t let ET define you or limit you activities.
​
​By Team DSF

Essential Tremor vs Parkinson’s
 
To distinguish between the two diseases, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders will perform neurological testing and evaluate features of the tremor including frequency, amplitude, pattern, and distribution. 
 
Parkinson's disease is much less common than essential tremor, and it presents itself in markedly different ways, however there are similarities. While treatments overlap in some areas, getting the best care requires the right diagnosis. The two conditions have key differences to look for:
     
Below are some of the differences & resemblances between the two diseases: 
 
Essential Tremor

• Affects hands, head and voice,
• Onset can occur at any age,
• Family history in >50% of patients.
• Action tremor. However, rest tremor has been reported with more severe disease and longer disease duration in various studies.
• Usually affects both sides of the body, but commonly starts in one hand
• Jaw Tremor may occur; jaw tremor in ET is more typically a postural or kinetic tremor rather than a rest tremor.
• Alcohol often improves tremor

 
Parkinson’s

• Affects hands and legs, but rarely head and voice.
• Onset generally around 60.
• Rarely family history.
• Resting tremor. However, postural tremor has been reported in patients with PD, especially young patients.
• Tremors usually start on one side of the body, commonly in the hands, and progress to the other side.
• Jaw tremor may occur

• No effect on consumption of alcohol

(1) Resting tremor occurs when the muscle is relaxed, such as when the hands are resting on the lap. With this disorder, a person’s hands, arms, or legs may shake even when they are at rest. Often, the tremor only affects the hand or fingers. This type of tremor is often seen in people with Parkinson’s disease and is called a “pillrolling” tremor because the circular finger and hand movements resemble rolling of small objects or pills in the hand.  
Action tremor occurs with the voluntary movement of a muscle. Most types of tremor are considered action tremor. There are several sub-classifications of action tremor, many of which overlap.

• Postural tremor occurs when a person maintains a position against gravity, such as holding the arms outstretched.
• Kinetic tremor is associated with any voluntary movement, such as moving the wrists up and down or closing and opening the eyes.
• Intention tremor is produced with purposeful movement toward a target, such as lifting a finger to touch the nose.  Typically the tremor will become worse as an individual gets closer to their target.
• Task-specific tremor only appears when performing highly-skilled, goal-oriented tasks such as handwriting or speaking.
• Isometric tremor occurs during a voluntary muscle contraction that is not accompanied by any movement such as holding a heavy book or a dumbbell in the same position.

(1) NINDS https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Tremor-Fact-Sheet 

Step 1 – Establish Your Goals
Goal setting is just as important in learning how to improve memory and concentration as it is in other areas of life. In other words, you need to know where you are going before you set out on your journey. Think about what your memory improvement goals are, and most importantly, write them down. This helps to lock them into place. Make them specific and measurable. For example “I want to be able to remember my 2-page presentation by next Saturday”, or “I want to memorise birthdays of people in closest to me by next Monday.”

Step 2 – Break Each Goal Down Into a Simple Plan
Once you have set a goal to improve memory and concentration, break it up into some tasks. Spread them over the time you have available. Using the previous example of the relatives birthdays, if you have 20 to remember and four days to do it in, set yourself the task of learning 5 per day. This is achievable and realistic, especially when starting out. With more practice you can increase the amount you learn in each day. The process of learning how to improve memory and concentration will become more relaxed and more comfortable.

Step 3 – Use Association and Emotion
In the example given above, try and associate each birthday with sharp images and use a range of techniques to help you remember each day’s facts. For example, repeat them out loud, write them down, and draw pictures. Anything that allows you to anchor your new memories.

Picture the person whose birthday you are trying to remember, perhaps on some happy occasion, and then visualise their birth date floating above them in large, brightly coloured numbers. Focus on the image. This will enhance your powers of concentration. Use something shocking if you like. These photos are for you alone. Bizarre and unusual images are highly useful tools in learning how to improve memory and concentration.

Step 4 – Rehearse What You Have Learnt
Rehearse what you have learned several times during the day, and again at the end of the day. As the days go by, rehearse your accumulated memories to strengthen your powers of recall. This is a handy article about Success Principles based on our survey with very interesting results.

Step 5 – Good Food Will Improve Your Memory
It is widely recognised that the modern diet often contains insufficient vitamins, minerals and other components needed to sustain a healthy body and mind. Understandably, many people turn to memory supplements as a way to improve the memory and concentration.

But did you know that before you start using memory supplements, there is one thing that you must do to provide the best foundation for a healthy brain? What’s more, if you don’t do this ‘one thing,’ the chances are that you will be wasting the money you spend on memory supplements.

It is straightforward. You must eat a Basic Healthy Diet. A healthy diet is one that is low in saturated fats and sugar, and high in unprocessed foods. This including fruit and vegetables. One component of food which is thought to have a significant beneficial effect on memory is folate. Folate is present in strawberries, whole grains, and dark leafy greens, as well as many other foods.

Any memory supplements you use are best taken in conjunction with a primarily healthy diet. They will be the ‘icing on the cake,’ if you like. But if you eat a poor diet, don’t expect any supplement to be a miracle cure for your memory or any other health issue. Get the ‘foundation’ in place first and then consider what part memory supplements can play in your health program. Also, please do some research on studies before taking any supplements.

Step 6 – Use ‘Brain Entrainment’ to Improve Your Memory
Good Memory, the centre of attention, mind Power and Concentration. These are the most common and mutually supporting features of a highly efficient brain.

If you are looking for ways to improve your memory, it will pay enormous dividends if you use an approach that tackles all four of these elements at the same time.
A ground-breaking approach which achieves just that is the process of ‘brain entrainment.’

Brain entrainment uses audio tracks to guide your brainwaves into operating at the frequencies which enable you to tap into higher levels of energy, creativity and problem-solving. These are the frequencies that arise during meditation. The significant advantage of this relatively new technology is that it allows you to access these rates quickly and easily. You will experience the brain states that high achievers and geniuses have used to make their mark in the world. And in doing so, your ‘brain power’ and memory will naturally improve in many different ways.

How To Improve Your Memory Naturally
​Here are some easy ways to sharpen your memory, improve your concentration and think more clearly.

Brain Exercises to Improve Memory

Using mental exercises on a regular basis will strengthen your concentration and improve your memory while at the very same time making for some pretty cool fun.

Brain exercises that improve memory can be practised during the day while you’re working. Many have made the comparison of the brain to a muscle that can be exercised for increased mental strength when using the right kind of activities. If you are looking for concentration help then applying the mind is a must.

Some mind and memory exercises can be as simple as an intelligent conversation or reading something new. Reading an article in a newspaper and then summarising it to a friend of yours or a family member, can be an excellent exercise. It’s good to do these types of mental activities and as much as possible since it will give you excellent concentration help, plus it is straightforward to come up with games that improve memory.

But be careful not to just breeze over the words and miss half of the meaning. You’ll amaze yourself with what you’re able to remember. Look online for more brain exercises that improve memory. They are easy to find.

Eat Smart And Improve Your Memory

A sharp memory mainly depends on your health. To maintain top brain function, you must eat healthily. Ian Marber, clinical nutritionist and author of The Food Doctor, said: “Most people are familiar with feeling dizzy and being unable to concentrate if they haven’t eaten, but they don’t realise what an effect nutrition has on brain function. Look how many people follow low-fat diets for weight loss, ignoring the possible repercussions for the brain.”

Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), found in oily fish such as herring, mackerel, and sardines, are involved in the production of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate brain and heart functioning. When you’re stressed, your body uses up more nutrients, which can affect the brain.

Most people are familiar with feeling dizzy and being unable to concentrate if they haven’t eaten, but they don’t realise what an effect nutrition has on brain function.

Ian Marber said: “The hormone adrenaline, produced in response to stress, uses extra glucose, which could lower blood levels, impeding mental performance. The brain is the single largest user of glucose, or energy taking around 70 percent of the total produced from food intake.”

Getting an adequate amount of vegetables is equally important. So go for plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, and complex carbohydrates, like potatoes. This ensures a consistent supply of glucose and antioxidants to counteract the formation of harmful free radicals and to help protect your brain and body from premature ageing. Another vitamin-like substance, coenzyme Q10, is thought to increase memory and concentration by upping oxygen levels in the brain.

Practice Feng Shui

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of balancing energies to create harmony, increase efficiency and encourage prosperity. Whether you believe it or not, it does give you a sense of peace, and that alone is worth it. By changing your working environment, you can enhance your performance and improve your memory. Gina Lazenby, an author of The Healthy Home, advises the following: avoid clutter – it creates stagnation. A clear desk helps you find things more efficiently and focus on the task at hand. Place inspirational images within view, such as a picture of a beautiful landscape, to help stimulate creative thinking. Make sure your chair is supportive and comfortable, allowing energy to flow.

Avoid Fluorescent Lighting

Use a desk lamp and avoid fluorescent lighting, which can create glare, an energy-zapping source of distraction. The better the light, the stronger the creative energy around you. Use colours – yellow is said to stimulate the mind, turquoise helps clarity, while beige and light blue encourage tidiness. Don’t sit with your back to the door. Position your chair with your back to a wall, so you can see anyone walking through the door. Then you won’t be taken by surprise and will appear accessible and approachable.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is the time when our body is repairing itself. Make sure you are getting ample sleep since this offers your body the time to heal itself for the next day. Getting a ”power nap” in the day is a behaviour well really worth mastering. You’ll wake from the power nap refreshed and raring to go again.

Games for Improving Memory and Concentration

​When you play a memory game at every opportunity, you will find great success, and it will improve memory. You may take a look at nearly everything as being a possibility to practice these memory games. Look at word association or putting a visual reminder with words with items to remember. Many of the games nowadays possess games that are targeted at increasing your brain power. These are labelled Mind Training, so if you have a game console, they are a great way to improve your mind and memory power. There are also computer-based equivalents if you don’t have a gaming console. A couple of mini “brain exercises” a day should assist your memory improvement goal. Quizzes are great test your ingenuity. It can help assess the status of your memory and intelligence. Sudoku or a crossword puzzle is also a great way to stretch your mind!

Mind puzzles provide you with the tools to improve your skills in specific areas.
Problem-solving is the number one skill that many people do not use to its fullest potential. When you have honed your skills at a particular memory game, many mental problems you had in the past will be simple to work out with your new found mind and memory.

The bottom line is that the more you play, the better you become. When you attempt quizzes or mind puzzles, you are increasing your ability to think fast. When you complete a mind puzzle a day, you will notice you have gained a sense of security, and you will also see the difference in your problem-solving skills in a relatively short amount of time.

Supplements for Your Mind and Memory

Usual dietary supplements like Ginko Biloba have been shown to have beneficial results in the brain improvement and blood flow. It is easy to get them online from sites like Amazon or your native wellness super food store. With the natural mind workouts above, you’re stimulating each side of your mind. Regardless of whether you’re rich or poor, a university scholar or a dropout, as long as you are in management of both sides of your brain, the possibilities are endless.

As Albert Einstein often would say “genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration“. The road to attaining genius mind and memory power is genuinely available to any individual prepared to work to reach one’s goals. Once you use the remaining parts of your brain, you are using your logical, analytical thoughts to focus your actions. The other part is utilised in exploring creative suggestions, inspiration, hunches and the like. When you can use both naturally, logic and creativity, all you need to do are consider the action to take to get to your objective. That’s the 99% Einstein was talking about in attaining genius brain power. You can find numerous brain supplements on the market. But make sure to consult a physician before using any brain supplement.

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Surround yourself with like-minded people. Having people around with a mindset similar to yours will give you the support and help you need to grow the mind and memory to new heights.

Takeaway

So there you have it, nine natural approaches for improving memory. That also provide a healthy foundation for any other memory improvement methods you may want to use!

In this article, you’ve learned various steps and techniques to achieve any memory task you put your mind to. You now have a proven step by step system for powering up your memory and concentration and enhancing many areas of your life.


[Authors Bio: Sohail is a content marketer and a blogger. Currently, he is associated with Smiletutor.sg, a private tuition agency in Singapore. His hobbies include writing, reading books, travelling and gardening.]

Thank you Matthew Snider & Rebecca Temsen Self Development Secrets Blog

​

INSIGHTEC FOR NEUROSURGERYINSIGHTEC provides a non-invasive, image-guided alternative for deep brain procedures such as thalamotomy and pallidotomy for essential tremor, tremor dominant Parkinson’s disease and neuropathic pain. This personalized treatment is done through an intact skull with no ionizing radiation, providing a real impact on patients’ quality of life.

MINIMAL HOSPITALIZATION and short recovery timeSHARP, ACCURATE
Lesions as small as 2mm, no penetrating trajectories, no implanted hardware, no ionizing radiation, less risk of infection
REAL TIME
​MRI guidance for targeting and thermal feedback, with immediate results
 
INSIGHTEC’s neurosurgery solution, Exablate Neuro, is the first focused ultrasound device approved by the FDA to treat patients with essential tremor. Exablate Neuro is a non-invasive, image-guided personalized thalamotomy, treated through an intact skull that doesn't require any ionizing radiation, incisions or implants.
 
What is Exablate Neuro?
High intensity focused ultrasound waves precisely target a focal point in the Vim nucleus of the thalamus, the tiny part of the brain that is thought to be responsible for causing tremors. The Exablate Neuro ultrasound transducer consists of 1024 beams that generate enough heat to ablate the targeted tissue during treatment. The result is an immediate and significant reduction of tremor for patients.
 
During planning and treatment for essential tremor, the patient is fully conscious and lying on the treatment bed in an MRI scanner. MRI provides high resolution visualization, patient-specific treatment planning and continuous monitoring of the procedure. Real-time thermal feedback allows the physician to control and adjust the treatment, ensuring that the targeted tissue is completely ablated without impacting adjacent healthy tissue.
This revolutionary, non-invasive treatment offers a life changing treatment to patients with essential tremor.
 

In some people, too much stress simply results in irritability. In other people, too much stress can cause or worsen health problems, including Essential Tremor. Learning to relax is the key to reducing stress.
Below are a few relaxation exercises. Be sure that you have a quiet location that is free of distractions. Make sure that you are in a comfortable body position and a good state of mind. Try to block out worries and distracting thoughts.

• Rhythmic breathing: If your breathing is short and hurried, slow it down by taking long, slow breaths. Inhale slowly and exhale slowly. Count slowly to five as you inhale, and then count slowly to five as you exhale. As you exhale slowly, pay attention to how your body naturally relaxes. Recognizing this change will help you to relax even more.
• Deep breathing: Imagine a spot just below your navel. Breathe into that spot, filling your abdomen with air. Let the air fill you from the abdomen up, then let the air out like you are deflating a balloon. With every long, slow exhale, you should feel more relaxed.
• Visualized breathing: Find a comfortable place where you can close your eyes and combine slowed breathing with your imagination. Picture relaxation entering your body and tension leaving your body. Breathe deeply, but in a natural rhythm. Visualize your breath coming into your nostrils, going into your lungs and expanding your chest and abdomen. Then, visualize your breath going out the same way. Continue breathing, but each time you inhale, imagine that you are breathing in more relaxation. Each time you exhale, imagine that you are getting rid of a little more tension.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: Switch your thoughts to yourself and your breathing. Take a few deep breaths, exhaling slowly. Mentally scan your body. Notice areas that feel tense or cramped. Loosen up these areas. Let go of as much tension as you can. Rotate your head in a circular motion once or twice, but be sure to stop any movements that cause pain. Roll your shoulders forward and backward several times. Let all of your muscles completely relax. Recall a pleasant thought for a few seconds. Take another deep breath and exhale slowly.
• Relaxation and music: Combine relaxation exercises with your favorite music in the background. Select the type of music that lifts your mood or that you find soothing or calming. Some people find it easier to relax while listening to specially designed relaxation audio tapes, which provide music and relaxation instructions.
• Mental imagery relaxation: Mental imagery relaxation, or guided imagery, is a proven form of focused relaxation that helps create harmony between the mind and body. Guided imagery coaches you in creating calm, peaceful images in your mind -- a "mental escape." Practice making positive statements about yourself. One example of a positive statement would be: "I am healthy, vital, and strong."

WebMD Medical Reference
http://www.webmd.com/brain/essential-tremor-relaxation
SOURCES:
Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Essential Tremor."
Pal, P. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, July 2011.
Medscape: "Essential Tremor: A Clinical Review: Approaches to Treatment."

Reviewed by Neil Lava, MD on September 20, 2014


​

​
The Truth About Essential Tremor: It’s Not Just a Case of Nerves

​The Truth About Essential Tremor: It’s Not Just a Case of NervesThis prevalent cause of shakiness is often mistaken for Parkinson's.Tremors associated with essential tremor typically occur while the person is eating, drinking, writing, typing, brushing teeth or performing another movement-oriented activity.

By Stacey ColinoNov. 11, 2015, at 9:50 a.m.+ More

If your hand routinely shakes when you hold a drink, sign your name or tap a number into your cellphone, you may fear that you're experiencing signs of Parkinson's disease. But what you're more likely to have is essential tremor, a common neurological condition that causes an involuntary, rhythmic trembling of the hands during movement but can also affect the head, voice or legs. While it's often confused with Parkinson's, essential tremor is eight times more common and affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S., according to the International Essential Tremor Foundation.

Unlike Parkinson's, which is a degenerative disease that causes someone to lose brain cells, essential tremor is not a degenerative disorder, explains Dr. Michael Rezak, director of the Movement Disorders Center at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois. "Essential tremor results from a malfunction of certain neurons, but you don't lose brain cells, and you don't lose gait or balance."

Despite its prevalence, it wasn't until 2013 that essential tremor was given its own specific diagnostic code, one that's distinct from other tremors, in the 10th edition of the World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems (ICD) code book. In medicine, the word "essential" means there's no known underlying cause for a symptom, which is the case for essential tremor. "When people hear it's essential tremor and not Parkinson's, that usually puts them at ease," Rezak says. "Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder out there, but we don't usually see people until it gets really bad. Most patients just learn to live with it."

Usually, the tremor that's characteristic of essential tremor occurs while the person is performing a movement-oriented activity – such as eating, drinking, writing, typing or brushing teeth – or when the hand is in a still but outstretched position (called a postural tremor). The severity can range from a barely noticeable trembling that's exacerbated by stress, anxiety, fatigue, excess caffeine or certain stimulant asthma medications to a severe, disabling tremor that has a significant impact on your ability to perform daily activities.
The late "actress Katharine Hepburn is an extreme example of advanced essential tremor – it affected her voice, head and arms, as well as her hands," Rezak notes. Playwright Eugene O'Neill also suffered from essential tremor. So does rocker J. Roddy Walston, of J. Roddy Walston & The Business, who became increasingly vocal about his condition in the band's 2013 LP "Essential Tremors."

The disorder affects men and women equally, and it's hereditary in more than 50 percent of people who have it. Though the average decade of onset is in the 40s, essential tremor can occur at any time, even in children. Debbie Lamb developed "the shakes" when she was in her late 20s but she didn't have a name for them until her second child was diagnosed as a baby in 2004 with "benign familial essential tremors." "It turned out that not only did I, her mother, have them, but my mother, sister, grandmother and niece all had them, too," says Lamb, now 50, a marketing executive in Vallejo, California.

There aren't blood or other medical tests that can definitively diagnose essential tremor. Instead, a neurologist makes the diagnosis on the basis of a detailed medical history and a neurological evaluation that's designed partly to rule out other possible causes of the tremor. In tough cases, a relatively new diagnostic imaging technique called DaTscan allows doctors to distinguish between patients who have a loss of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that's predominantly responsible for Parkinson's symptoms, and those who don't have a dopamine deficiency.

If your essential tremor is mild and doesn't bother you, it doesn't need to be treated. But you can take steps to mitigate the effects by avoiding caffeine and doing yoga or other relaxation techniques. Lamb relies on focused breathing exercises and meditation to reduce the severity of her tremors. A 2015 study from Australia found that doing resistance training also can reduce essential tremor and improve manual dexterity in those who have the condition.

It's often referred to as benign essential tremor because it isn't life-threatening, "but it's not that benign when it starts interfering with one's life and you can't work or eat soup," Rezak says. If it impairs your ability to function, the condition is usually treated with medications such as beta-blockers, anti-seizure drugs, anti-anxiety meds or Botox injections. There's a lot of trial and error to find a medication that works well for any given patient; sometimes drug treatment helps sufficiently, and sometimes it doesn't.
With or without medication, essential tremor is often a progressive condition. "As the tremor progresses, it can worsen or people can have breakthrough tremors on medication," explains Dr. Joseph Neimat, an associate professor of neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

Elsie Hamilton, of Englewood, Colorado, discovered this firsthand when her tremors got so bad over a 20-year period that she had to give up her career as a landscape, still life and portrait painter. Besides struggling to hold a paintbrush steady for detail work, on some days she had trouble keeping the brush between her fingers at all. In her personal life, when she was the slightest bit nervous in social situations, she would shake when moving a fork to her mouth or lifting a glass to her lips. For the last six years, Hamilton has been taking a beta-blocker for a heart condition, which helps with her essential tremor but doesn't eliminate it. "It can still be very embarrassing but I tell people up front and try to laugh it off," says Hamilton, now 54, president of the Lilly Brush Co., which manufactures and sells special brushes that remove pet hair from clothing and furniture. "My siblings, in-laws and two sons cover for me and help whenever they can."
​
For people with severe tremor that doesn't respond to drugs, surgical therapies and other treatments are gaining traction. With deep brain stimulation, a probe is implanted in the thalamus, the part of the brain that causes tremors, and a wire runs from the probe to a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest. "We use the pacemaker to jam the tremor signal inside the brain," Neimat explains. "If the tremor gets worse, we can dial up the stimulation."

By contrast, a noninvasive procedure called Gamma Knife thalamotomy uses cobalt beams to deliver a precise dose of radiation to the thalamus to control these involuntary movements. In a recent study published in Neurology , researchers from France found that the Gamma Knife procedure improved upper limb tremor by 54 percent and the ability to perform activities of daily living by 72 percent in 50 patients with tremor.

Meanwhile, a new noninvasive MRI-guided high-intensity ultrasound technique, which uses concentrated ultrasound waves to selectively damage the part of the brain that contributes to tremors, is showing preliminary promise. "It's unique in that you don't need to cut the skin or insert something into the brain – and it's a one-time treatment," says Dr. Ali Rezai, director of the Neurological Institute at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where a clinical trial is being conducted on the technique's safety and effectiveness. "So far the results seem to be robust." The study will conclude next year, and doctors are hoping the technique gains approval by the Food and Drug Administration in short order.
​
The take-home message: While "this is a condition that can have a significant effect on a person's quality of life, it's very treatable," Neimat says. So there's no reason to suffer and shake silently or to hesitate to seek help for it.

​http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/11/11/the-truth-about-essential-tremor-its-not-just-a-case-of-nerves

Former residents team up for book to benefit tremor disorder research

Essential tremor: Aiken resident lives with, raises awareness of disease
Stephanie Turner  Email  stephaniedturnerAS
Oct 11 2015 3:47 pm

​Getting ET
“Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder. It is a progressive, often inherited disorder that usually begins in later adulthood,” according to John Hopkins. “Essential tremor is thought to be caused by electrical fluctuations in the brain that send abnormal signals out to the muscles.”

The gene that causes ET has not been identified, and how it’s inherited, if the person does inherit it, differs among patients, according the National Library of Medicine’s Genetics Home Reference.

In some causes, “they almost know it’s coming, because generation after generation have a pretty pronounced tremor,” said Dr. Michelle Lyon, Carolina Musculoskeletal Institute’s neurologist.


 Staff Photo by Stephanie Turner Dr. Michelle Lyon is the neurologist at Carolina Musculoskeletal Institute

Since Shaddox’s father passed away before she was born and her mother died when Shaddox was a toddler, she isn’t completely sure how she got her ET, though she suspects it’s from a great aunt whose hands would shake.

“In most affected families, essential tremor appears to be inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of an altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder, although no genes that cause essential tremor have been identified,” according to the National Library. “Essential tremor may also appear in people with no history of the disorder in their family.”

There is no genetic test to detect whether or not you will get ET, Lyon said.

“Your health care provider will ask you questions about your health history and family history. He or she will also look at your trembling symptoms. Your provider will probably need to rule out other conditions that could cause the shaking or trembling,” according to John Hopkins.

ET is often confused with Parkinson’s disease, which affects less people and is more detailed in its symptoms than ET, according to Lyon.

Parkinson’s, for example, “generally involves slow movements (bradykinesia), rigidity (stiffness) and problems with walking or balance,” whereas those symptoms are abnormal in people with ET, according to the International Essential Tremor Foundation.

This weekend was packed full of drama. We, the authors/artist at the Folly Beach Wine & Sign, a fundraiser for the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor, knew the forecast was for rain, but being diehards we decided to give Saturday a chance. Little did we know that we would be in the Perfect Storm. 

The slow rain began and all was well… for about fifteen minutes, then the storm hit. Strong winds & heavy rain began and started lifting tents, which were strapped down pulling them loose, making them dance twirling like ballerinas. Everyone rushed outside to save the tents. We looked like a crew on a ship battening down the hatches with gust of wind and rain beating down on us. The wind did win taking a few large boards off the arbor of the SC Parks & Recreation & Locklear’s Beach City Grill, but we were able to save the tents. 

Since we had won the battle with the storm we decided to extend the Folly Beach Wine & Sign for a second day. The next day, Sunday, was a beautiful day with blue skies and temperatures in the low 70’s. The winds were still gusty but the day was a perfect day.

I had the best time and want to say thank you to the SC Parks & Recreation, Locklear’s Beach City Grill, all our authors/artists, (who had a wonderful sense of humor), and everyone that came out to support our event and help raise money for the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor. 

I met so many great people, Linda, Jeff, Elaine, Matthew, Peggy, Bill, Trudy, Mandy, Kirtland, Frank, Kathy, Lourie, and so many more.

We had so much fun that we have decided the next Folly Beach Wine & Sign will be held on Saturday & Sunday.

Does anyone know who this beautiful lady is? She has something in common with over 10 million Americans and million more worldwide.....Hint: She shared the same tremor disorder.










Yes, it is Katherine Hepburn

This past weekend I spent Saturday, January 24th and Sunday January 25th at the Frampton Plantation in Yemassee, South Carolina as a guest of the South Carolina Lowcountry Tourism Commission. I was there to raise money for the Diann Shaddox Foundation.

The "Frampton House" property was part of an original King's Grant to the Frampton family in the 1700s. In 1865, General Sherman's troops burned the plantation house and all the farm buildings that stood on this site. In 1868, John Frampton rebuilt the present charming Lowcountry farmhouse and continued to work the land, which is now the home of the SC Lowcountry Tourism Commission.

Saturday morning began rainy and windy with the ground saturated from the storms the night before. I arrived around 9:00 that wet morning to find beige A frame canvas tents dotting the grounds of the old plantation where Union and Confederate soldiers had spent the night. 19th-century cannons made by Lt. Colonel Vernon Terry were placed in front of the old plantation home.

As the morning moved on the rain clouds seemed to be racing across the sky as the warmth of the South Carolina sun began to shine down upon the Plantation. For me though, since my tremors go wild in cold and I couldn't seem to have enough layers of clothes on I sat quivering from Essential Tremor and the cold. The plantation home became busy with soldiers and visitors scurrying and preparing for the Battle of Pocotaligo to take place later that day.

Cracking The Brain's Genetic Code

The Huffington Post  |  By Carolyn Gregoire

 

Posted: 01/23/2015 8:10 am EST Updated: 01/23/2015 9:59 am EST

An international team of over 300 scientists are taking on an ambitious project to identify eight common genetic mutations that appear to age the brain by three years on average. The team, known as Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis (ENIGMA) Network, hopes to pave the way for new treatments for Alzheimer's, autism and other neurological disorders.

Led by researchers at the University of Southern California, neuroscientists from more than 190 scientific institutions are bringing together a wealth of data, including brain scans and genetic data from 33 countries around the globe to identify and target genes that either enhance or deteriorate key brain regions.

"The ENIGMA Center's work uses vast datasets as engines of biomedical discovery; it shows how each individual's genetic blueprint shapes the human brain," Dr. Philip Bourne, associate director for data science at the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement.

Using MRI data from more than 30,000 people, the researchers screened millions of genome variations to determine which ones affected important brain areas implicated in common neurological disorders.

They discovered eight genes that are capable of either eroding or strengthening brain tissue, which may alter the "brain reserve" by two to three percent. In this respect, the genes seem to exert an effect on how resilient our brains are to disease.

"We have some preliminary data that shows the genes driving brain size may affect disease risk," Dr. Paul Thompson, ENIGMA's principal investigator, said in an email to the Huffington Post. "Some affect the memory systems of the brain that decline in Alzheimer's disease. Other genes affect deep brain nuclei that degenerate in Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. If you think of the brain as a mental bank account, we need to know what depletes it and tops it up."

The findings could help to devise future treatments for neurological disorders using pharmacogenomics, which uses an individual's genetic makeup to determine treatment response and created more tailored interventions.

"If an existing treatment were more effective for certain people, or only in certain people, ENIGMA would help to personalize medicine," Thompson explains. "The pain killer codeine, for example, is thought to be less effective in people with certain genetic codes. Imagine if that was true for psychiatric medications too -- it may be, and ENIGMA may offer one way to find out."

The project, which is the largest of its kind, was made possible through a $23 million grant from the National Institutes of Health as part of its Big Data Initiative to improve biomedical data.

It's a powerful testament to the kind of impact that global data collection and scientific collaboration can have.

"I love this kind of work -- it pays off financially, as people share resources and skills, and it gives us a power we never had in neuroscience," said Thompson. "It is not just data. It's also people in 33 countries working together to crack the brain's genetic code. Having 300 of the world's greatest minds attack the same problem reminds us of the allied code-breaking effort in World War II."

The findings were published in the journal Nature.

 

Cracking The Brain's Genetic Code http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/23/largest-study-of-its-kind_n_6523868.html?ir=Healthy+Living&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000030  

The Brain’s Balancing Act  Researchers discover how neurons equalize between excitation and inhibition  
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a fundamental mechanism by which the brain maintains its internal balance. The mechanism, described in the June 22 advanced online publication of the journal Nature, involves the brain's most basic inner wiring and the processes that control whether a neuron relays information to other neurons or suppresses the transmission of information.

Specifically, the scientists have shown that there is a constant ratio between the total amount of pro-firing stimulation that a neuron receives from the hundreds or thousands of excitatory neurons that feed into it, and the total amount of red-light stop signaling that it receives from the equally numerous inhibitory neurons.

This constant ratio, called the E/I ratio, was known to exist for individual neurons at a given time. This study goes a step further and shows that the E/I ratio is constant across multiple neurons in the cortex of mice and likely also humans, since the fundamental architecture of mammalian brains is highly conserved across species.

“Neurons in our brain drive by pushing the brake and the accelerator at the same time,” said Massimo Scanziani, PhD, professor of neurosciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and co-author. “This means that there is no stimulus that you can apply that will activate purely excitatory neurons or purely inhibitory ones.”

“There is always a tug-of-war. It’s weird but very clever. It allows the brain to exert very subtle control on our response to stimuli.” For example, Scanziani said it prevents both runaway neuronal firing (excitation) and permanent quiescence (inhibition) because excitation and inhibition are always coupled.

In experiments, the scientists also showed how the brain maintains a constant E/I ratio across neurons: The adjustment is carried out by the inhibitory neurons through the appropriate strengthening or weakening of inhibitory synapses. A synapse is the gap or juncture between two neurons and synaptic strength refers to the degree to which a passed signal is amplified in the juncture.

“Our study shows that the inhibitory neurons are the master regulators that contact hundreds or thousands of cells and make sure that the inhibitory synapses at each of these contacts is matched to the different amounts of excitation that these cells are receiving,” Scanziani explained. If, for example, the level of excitatory stimulation that a nerve cell is receiving is doubled, the inhibitory synapses over a period of a few days will also double their strength.

In terms of clinical applications, the scientists said that neurological diseases such as autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia are believed to be a problem, at least in part, of the brain’s ability to maintain an optimal E/I ratio.

“If this E/I balance is broken, it completely alters your perception of the world,” Scanziani said. “You will be less able to adjust and adapt appropriately to the range of stimulation in a normal day without being overwhelmed or completely oblivious, and E/I imbalances may be most easily noticed in social interactions because these interactions require such nuance and subtle adjusting.”

Scientists have also proposed that some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, may be associated with a shift in the E/I balance.

Minghan Xue, a postdoctoral researcher in neurobiology and the study's lead author, said “now that we know how this E/I balance is regulated in a normal brain, we can begin to understand what goes wrong in the diseased state. It paves the way for interventions that might restore the balance in the brain.”

Co-authors include Bassam Atallah, PhD, Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Chamaplimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal.

Funding for this study came, in part, from the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research and the Gatsby Foundation.

Media contact: Scott LaFee, 619-543-6163, slafee@ucsd.edu

http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/the_brains_balancing_act

No you won’t die from Essential Tremor, you will die with Essential Tremor.

There are many misconceptions and people believe that Essential Tremor, (ET) is just a slight tremor in the hands of old people, that’s not true. First and foremost, Essential Tremor can begin at any age, from ages 1 to 100. ET doesn't discriminate with age, race, sex, or national origin.  

I’m sure you are wondering, like most people, what is Essential Tremor. 

Have you ever heard of ET? 99% of the time the answer is no. Many police departments answer the same even though Essential Tremor is the largest and most common movement disorder in the world 10 times larger than Parkinson’s. What is Essential Tremor? (ET) is a progressive neurological condition that causes a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, voice, legs, or trunk. Over 10 million Americans have Essential Tremor, including children and millions more people worldwide. That’s about 5% of all people in the United States. For comparison sake, 7.8% of the population have some type of diabetes. Most people though haven’t heard about Essential Tremor.
Essential Tremor can be inherited. *

Here are a few things people living with Essential Tremor deal with. Essential Tremor won’t kill you, but…

• What would you do if your voice quivered so much that you aren't able to speak or you can barely speak? 

• What would you do if your head constantly shakes yes or no? 

• What would you do if every time you try to eat your food it flies from your fork or spoon, and your drink splashes on you and everyone at the table? 

• What would you do if you couldn't prepare your own food?

• What would you do if every night the inside of your body quivers as you try to fall asleep? 

• What would you do if you couldn't sign your name, and if you try to fill out a form, your hand tremors like a baby bird's wings, and no one can read what you write? 

• What would you do if your legs tremor and you wobble when you walk? 

• What would you do if you couldn't play with your children or help them with school projects because your hand shakes? 

• What would you do if you were afraid to hold your newborn baby?

• What would you do if you’re a teenager and because your hands flutter in class you're teased and bullied? 

• What would you do if you’re a teenager and your dreams of becoming a carpenter, artist, pianist, doctor, nurse or dentist will never come true because of your tremors?

• What if you aren’t able to apply makeup, put in your contact lens, or shave.

• What would you do if you couldn't put on jewelry? (necklace or earrings)

• What would you do if you are a young child and can’t copy your ABC’s or make crafts like the other kids in your class?
  

• What would you do if you’re a musician, singer, or artist and your life of playing an instrument, singing or painting abruptly stops?

• What would you do if you were fired from your job because your boss doesn't like to see you tremor, even though you can still do your job?

What would you do if you couldn't drive a car?

No you won’t die from Essential Tremor, you will die with it. 

The quality of life for someone with a movement disorder can be devastating and depression can set in and you wonder is life worth living. Many people hide in their homes not wanting to face the public with the stares and cruel remarks. Numerous people not only lose the quality of life, but they lose their independence of life.

There are many stages of Essential Tremor, mild to severe tremors, and the progression will vary, but the outcome is the same; some part of their body tremors.

That is why the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor is adamant to find a cause and cure for Essential Tremor. Please join us and help millions around the world living with Essential Tremor. We can make a difference, but we need your help, donate now.

*(The inherited variety of essential tremor is an autosomal dominant disorder. A defective gene from just one parent is needed to pass on the condition.If you have a parent with a genetic mutation for essential tremor, you have a 50 percent chance of developing the disorder yourself. Mayo Clinic)

 

Please go to www.diannshaddoxfoundation.org to learn more.