Tremor

Tremor (medically: tremor) refers to a rhythmic muscle movement that is generally harmless as a normal bodily response. In some cases, however, tremor may have a serious underlying condition. For your long-term health, it is therefore advisable to pursue early treatment of your tremor. Our experienced doctors will support you at all our locations.

The diagnosis of tremor encompasses numerous subcategories. Tremor is first classified into the following categories:

• resting tremor — the tremor occurs when the body is at rest
• action tremor — the tremor occurs when the body is in motion
• postural tremor — the tremor occurs when a part of the body is consciously held in the air

Beyond this, clinicians recognise the following types of tremor:

• essential tremor — this often hereditary tremor occurs when those affected hold their arms out in front of them. The tremor becomes more pronounced over time
• orthostatic tremor — this rare tremor usually occurs in old age and is characterised by a sensation of trembling legs, resulting in frequent falls

The triggers of tremor are varied and often unclear. The most important established causes include:

• strokes — in this case, clinicians refer to so-called Holmes tremor
• psychological disorders — this type of tremor typically disappears as soon as the affected person is distracted
• Parkinson's syndrome
• cerebellar damage
• anxiety
• cold
• low blood pressure
• overactive thyroid

A tremor is characterised by:

• an involuntary muscle movement that can occur in various parts of the body, at various times, and at various frequencies

The first step in treating your tremor is diagnosis. In the course of this, we at avi first clarify the cause of the tremor. The following medical measures are employed for this purpose:

• laboratory tests (including for deficiencies and thyroid values)
• neurological examinations

This is followed by targeted therapy — matched to the cause of the tremor. In cases where a serious underlying condition or disorder (such as an overactive thyroid) is present, this is treated as a priority.

For essential and orthostatic tremors, therapy includes medication such as beta-blockers and anti-epileptic drugs.