Incisionless, MRI-guided ultrasound technology offers a life-changing option for patients with medication-resistant tremors.

BALTIMORE, Nov. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A Baltimore grandfather who spent 25 years as a police officer has a new reason to enjoy his retirement: making Sunday breakfast for his family.

For years, Mark Hunter lived with essential tremor, a neurological condition that caused his hands to shake involuntarily. Although the condition never prevented him from enjoying life, it increasingly complicated ordinary tasks. Putting a screwdriver into a screw could require both hands. Even flipping pancakes for his family became challenging.

Mark became MedStar Health’s first patient to undergo focused ultrasound, an advanced, incisionless procedure that uses MRI-guided ultrasound energy to target a specific area of the brain responsible for tremor. Dr. Justin Martello, chief of Neurology for the Baltimore region, performed the procedure in just over two hours at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. Mark went home the same day.

Essential tremor is a neurological condition that causes involuntary shaking, most commonly in the hands. It can interfere with everyday activities such as eating, drinking, writing, and performing tasks requiring fine motor control. While medications can help some patients, others continue to experience symptoms that affect their quality of life.

According to published research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, estimates that essential tremor affects approximately seven million Americans may be conservative because some people never seek medical attention for their tremor.

“Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders, and its impact on everyday life varies dramatically,” said Dr. Martello. “For patients who have struggled to find adequate relief, having additional treatment options can make a meaningful difference. Bringing focused ultrasound to MedStar Franklin Square allows us to expand the care we can offer our community and help more patients explore whether this approach may be right for them.”

Focused ultrasound uses highly concentrated sound waves, guided by real-time MRI imaging, to precisely target a small structure in the brain called the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus. By creating a carefully controlled lesion in this area, the treatment disrupts abnormal signals associated with tremor.

Unlike deep brain stimulation, which requires surgery to implant electrodes in the brain, focused ultrasound does not require an incision or implanted hardware. Patients remain awake during the procedure, allowing physicians to monitor their response to treatment. The improvements can be seen while the treatment is underway.

For Mark, the difference has been dramatic. “The improvement between my treated and untreated hands is like night and day,” he said. He plans to undergo the procedure on his other hand as well.

Focused ultrasound is FDA-approved for adults with essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease whose tremors and other symptoms are not adequately controlled with medication. Clinical studies have demonstrated significant, lasting improvements in tremors and other movement symptoms, offering a new treatment option for patients whose medications are no longer providing adequate relief.

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SOURCE MedStar Health