Tremor

Tremor is a movement disorder that causes uncontrolled shaking of different parts of the body. There are many kinds of tremor. Randi Baculi, MD, and Sanam Zaidi, PA-C, at RHBNeuro in Dallas, Texas, use in-office diagnostic testing to distinguish between tremor types. To learn more about tremor, call the RHBNeuro office or schedule an appointment online.

What is tremor?

Tremor is the uncontrolled, rhythmic contraction of your muscles, causing shaking movements in one or more parts of your body.

The uncontrolled movements can come and go or happen all the time. You can develop tremor at any age, but it most often first appears during middle age. Tremor isn’t life-threatening, but it can affect your quality of life.

What causes tremor?

Tremor occurs when there’s a problem involving deep areas of your brain. You can develop tremor after a stroke, or it can be one of your Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

When evaluating tremor, it’s necessary to determine the cause so that you get the most appropriate care.

RHBNeuro offers advanced in-office diagnostic testing to distinguish tremor between Parkinson’s disease, convulsions, focal seizures, and other conditions.

What kinds of tremor are there?

There are more than 20 tremor types. The common ones include:

Essential tremor

Essential tremor is among the most common types, and its causes are unknown. Essential tremor causes shaking in your hands and arms.

Dystonic tremor

Dystonic tremor happens in people with dystonia, a movement disorder that affects communication between the brain and muscles, causing unwanted movements. Dystonic tremor can cause uncontrollable shaking in the hands, arms, and head.

Cerebellar tremor

A cerebellar tremor causes uncontrollable movements in the arms or legs at the end of purposeful movement, like reaching out to press a button.

Parkinsonian tremor

Parkinsonian tremor is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease, causing one or both hands to shake while resting. However, you can have this tremor without having Parkinson’s disease.

What happens during a tremor evaluation?

RHBNeuro conducts a patient-centered evaluation when you come in for a tremor workup. Your board-certified neurologist reviews your symptoms, medical history, and family history and does physical and neurological exams.

They also order advanced diagnostic testing to determine the type and cause of your tremor.

How is tremor treated?

Tremor treatment focuses on controlling the shaking. An accurate diagnosis is necessary; it ensures you get the most effective treatment.

Tremor treatments include:

• Beta-blocking drugs (for essential tremor)
• Anti-seizure medication
• Anti-anxiety medication
• Parkinson’s disease medication
• Botox injections

RHBNeuro might also talk to you about focused ultrasound, a new treatment for essential tremor. Focused ultrasound uses MRI and targeted ultrasound to create lesions in the area of the brain thought to cause the tremor.

The lesions created by the MRI and ultrasound disrupt the abnormal brain activity that causes the tremor, stopping the involuntary movements.

Call RHBNeuro or schedule your appointment online for expert tremor care.