Bold truth: a noninvasive technology is reshaping how we treat movement disorders, offering an elegant alternative to drugs or surgery. And this is the part most people miss—the approach is not just for a single condition, but a versatile tool with evolving uses across medicine. Here’s a refreshed, beginner-friendly version of the original piece that preserves all key information while expanding clarity and context.
Parkinson’s, tremor, and beyond: what focused ultrasound is doing
Most medical interventions fall into two camps: drugs that modify how the body works, or procedures that physically remove or repair the faulty part. When neither path is suitable, clinicians look for a different technology. Focused ultrasound is one such option. It’s noninvasive, uses precise sound waves, and is being explored to treat conditions like Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. It also holds promise for certain tumors in other parts of the body.
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How you can listen
- You can hear the program on your local public radio station or via a live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, February 21, 2026, through your computer or smartphone at wunc.org. You can also use this finder to locate stations carrying the broadcast: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/find-a-radio-station. If you miss the live show, you can catch the podcast later. Subscribe via your preferred podcast app, download the mp3 linked at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting February 23, 2026.
What focused ultrasound does
- Ultrasound is commonly known as a diagnostic tool, but when highly focused, it can affect targeted tissues inside the body. Think of using an optical lens to concentrate sunlight to a precise point; at the right intensity, that focus can alter tissue. In focused ultrasound, a surgeon uses an acoustic lens to target ultrasound waves with high precision.
- Dr. Neal Kassell, a neurosurgeon and guest expert on the episode, has used focused ultrasound primarily for brain tumors. Treatments typically involve hundreds to thousands of individual ultrasound pulses.
- This technology has already been applied to more than 180 medical conditions, and regulators worldwide have approved its use for 35 different conditions. The first approval went to uterine fibroids. Focused ultrasound has been available as a noninvasive intervention for about 22 years.
- Today, people with Parkinson’s disease may opt for focused ultrasound as an alternative to deep brain stimulation. Roughly 250 sites across the United States offer this technology to patients.
How it works, in practical terms
- Mechanism 1: Heat generation. The focused beams heat and destroy tissue precisely where intended, which is how tumors or abnormal tissue can be removed without opening the body.
- Mechanism 2: Drug delivery with microbubbles. Tiny bubbles can carry drugs and release them when exposed to the focused beams. This enables high drug concentrations at the target site while sparing the rest of the body, potentially reducing systemic side effects.
- Mechanism 3: Immune modulation. Focused ultrasound appears to interact with the immune system, and combining it with immunotherapies (like Keytruda) has shown improved response rates in some cases.
Adoption, cost, and the broader impact
- Integrating focused ultrasound into standard practice can require changes in doctor referral patterns and insurance coverage. In the long run, insurers may save money if this durable intervention reduces the need for ongoing treatments and complications.
- The OneHealth approach shows veterinarians are using focused ultrasound for companion animals (dogs and cats) with hard-to-treat cancers. The lessons learned in veterinary medicine can inform human health care.
- Tremor care note: essential tremor responded surprisingly well in many patients. In some cases, two treatments on opposite sides of the brain—spaced six to nine months apart—yield durable relief for many, with significant improvement in function.
A patient story worth knowing
- Bobby Krause, diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s at 42, faced medication side effects and pressure to be the father he wanted to be. He learned that about 30,000 Parkinson’s patients have received focused ultrasound worldwide, and roughly three-quarters experience meaningful, lasting improvements. After not qualifying for the first trial, he later underwent treatment at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2022, three sonication sessions in one day led to remarkable results, including improvements in posture and back muscle spasms that had previously limited his height. His journey highlights the potential life-changing impact of this technology.
Meet the guests
- Neal F. Kassell, MD: Founder and chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the development and adoption of focused ultrasound to reduce death, disability, and suffering. He previously served as a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Virginia and has contributed extensively to medical literature. He was named to the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel in 2016.
- Bobby Krause: Founder of the Be Still Foundation, a nonprofit focused on empowering patients and families affected by essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. His advocacy work supports awareness, funding, and access to life-changing treatments like focused ultrasound.
Listen to the podcast
- The podcast for this program will be available Monday, February 23, 2026, after the February 21 live broadcast. Stream it on this site or download the free mp3. You can also find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Thought-provoking closing questions
- Given focused ultrasound’s potential to treat a broad range of conditions noninvasively, should health systems accelerate adoption despite current cost and workflow hurdles?
- How might expanding use in veterinary care and the OneHealth approach shape future human medicine strategies and reimbursement models?
- Could combining focused ultrasound with immunotherapies become a standard approach for certain cancers or neurological disorders, and what are the key risks to monitor?
If you’d like, I can tailor this rewrite to a specific audience (patients, healthcare professionals, or general readers) or adjust the emphasis on particular sections. Would you prefer a more clinical tone, or keep the friendly, conversational style while preserving technical details?
