POSTURAL TREMOR

POSTURAL TREMOR

The postural tremor happens when a person believes a certain position that is opposed to gravity, such as holding the arm and stretching it.

Tremor is a contraction that leads to rhythmic movements in one or more parts of the body. It is a common disorder that often affects the hands but can also occur in the arms, head, vocal cords, torso, and legs. Tremors may be periodic (occurring at separate times, or with breaks) or constant. They can occur on their own or may happen as a result of another cause. They can occur at any age but are mostly seen in middle-aged and older people.

TYPES

Because some of the symptoms are similar, tremors may differ in some ways.

  • Cerebellar tremor
  • Psychogenic tremor
  • Physiologic tremor
  • Enhanced physiologic tremor
  • Parkinsonian tremor
  • Orthostatic tremor

SYMPTOMS

Essential tremor is one of the most common movement disorders although the specific cause of essential tremor is unidentified. For many people, tremors are mild and harmless.

Tremors that are invisible because both sides of the body but is obvious in the dominant hand is called an action tremor.

DIAGNOSIS

The tremor will be identified by a physical and neurological examination. After checking the medical history of the patient, the doctor will assess the tremor based on the following:

  • Whether the tremor occurs when the muscles are at rest or inaction
  • The location of the tremor on the body (and if it occurs on one or both sides of the body)
  • The appearance of the tremor (tremor frequency and amplitude)

TREATMENT

Although most tremors are not curable, there are medications to help manage symptoms. In some cases, the symptoms may be mild enough so that they don’t need to undergo treatment.

Treatment is based on an accurate diagnosis of the cause. Also, if the tremor is caused by a certain medication, quitting the tremor-causing drug may lessen or treat the tremor.

If there is no underlying cause for the postural tremor, available treatment options include:

  • Anti-seizure medications
  • Tranquilizers
  • Focused ultrasound
  • Surgery
  • Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
  • Thalamotomy
  • Lifestyle changes

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