Brain Ultrasound Treats Parkinson's With No Surgery

Robert Goings held out his hand after his Parkinson's treatment, and for the first time in years, it was completely still. His wife Diana couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Just hours earlier, the 68-year-old had been pacing all night, unable to stop moving because of painful muscle cramps and tremors. But after a revolutionary new procedure at Oregon Health and Science University, his symptoms vanished.

Goings received high-intensity focused ultrasound, a treatment that aims 1,024 ultrasound beams at specific spots deep in the brain. The beams create tiny lesions that stop the problematic signals causing Parkinson's symptoms.

The entire procedure happens while patients lie in an MRI machine. There's no cutting, no anesthesia, and no hospital recovery time.

The FDA approved the latest version of this treatment in 2025, expanding it to target more symptoms beyond tremors. Patients can now get relief from slowness and stiffness too, and doctors can treat both sides of the brain to help the entire body.

About 50 to 60 people have already received the treatment at OHSU, with the calendar booked months ahead. Early clinical trial data shows the treatment improves movement disability symptoms by about one third compared to having no medication.

Three months after treatment, 86 percent of patients reported their Parkinson's symptoms had improved overall. Many had suffered from tremors for decades before finding relief.

Neurosurgeon Daniel Cleary, who performed Goings' procedure, says the before and after experience moves everyone in the room. Patients look at their steady hands in amazement after years of shaking.

The treatment doesn't stop Parkinson's from progressing, but it offers powerful symptom relief for millions of people worldwide living with the disease. For many patients, it works when medications lose effectiveness or cause debilitating side effects.

The day after his procedure, Goings felt so good that he drove himself and Diana home through winding Oregon roads. They had expected Diana would need to drive.

Why This Inspires

This breakthrough shows how medical innovation can restore quality of life in dramatic, immediate ways. For Parkinson's patients who've withdrawn from public life due to visible tremors, this treatment offers a chance to reclaim their confidence and independence.

The procedure is still relatively new and mainly available at large academic centers, but its success points toward a future where managing neurodegenerative diseases becomes less invasive and more effective.