What is Tremor?


 

Signs and symptoms of essential tremor

  • Action tremor of the upper extremities (shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist or hand)
  • May involve a resting tremor of the head and neck and/or lower jaw
  • Can also involve the voice
  • Difficulty writing, drinking from a cup, dialing a telephone

Causes of Essential Tremor

  • Essential tremor is the most common type of movement disorder
  • Effects men and women equally and is inherited in 60% of all cases
  • Tremors on the right side of the body are caused by overactive brain cells in the left thalamus and vice versa.
  • Only a small part of the thalamus, called the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) is the cause of the tremor.