Marcie Northum lived with serious side effects related to Parkinson's disease for six years until she learned about a procedure at Sharp Memorial Hospital that could drastically reduce her physical symptoms.

The procedure, called deep brain stimulation (DBS), treats the involuntary, rhythmic shaking of essential tremor as well as common physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease — tremor, rigid muscles and slowness of movement. These life-altering conditions affect millions of Americans — many of whom lose the ability to complete simple daily tasks such as eating and drinking.

DBS surgery involves implanting electrodes, or wires, in the brain to help regulate the abnormal nerve signals that cause symptoms of Parkinson's and essential tremor. A battery pack called a neurostimulator is placed under the skin in the chest and delivers electrical impulses to the electrodes.

Watch the video above to learn more about how this incredible procedure — along with the care of Dr. Kenneth Ott, a neurosurgeon, and Dr. Amirhassan Bahreman, a neurologist, both affiliated with Sharp Community Medical Group — helped Marcie get back to enjoying life.