Body tremors are involuntary muscle contractions with a rhythmic pattern that cause one or more body parts to shake. Body tremors fall in a variety of categories and types.
Resting
Postural
Isometric
Kinetic
Task specific
It is quite common for people with Parkinson’s disease to experience resting tremors. A resting tremor is a relatively slow tremor that begins in the fingers and progresses into the forearm. The motion often resembles rolling pins or other small items between the fingers.
These types of tremors are quite rare and usually only occur in people under the age of 50. They involve the involuntary twisting or jerking of limbs, however certain positions may cause the tremors to stop.
A physiologic tremor occurs at rest and during movement, and just about everyone has it. They typically do not affect a person’s day-to-day activities, however the following factors may aggravate it:
In some cases, body tremors can be as a result of dysfunction in the deep areas of the brain that control movement. This may be due to certain neurological conditions, such as:
Physical and neurological examinations are usually performed along with diagnostic tests.
The physical examination involves checking:
The neurological examination involves looking for:
Other diagnostic tests may include:
There are specific treatments that may help reduce the frequency and severity of body tremors. However, treatment is highly dependent on the cause, type and severity of the tremor.