Trembling or shaking of a body part, in particular the hands, is a normal response to nervousness or other heightened emotional states like anger or fear. Sometimes your hands may begin to shake or tremor without these emotional triggers. It is important to point out that not all tremors are physiological or benign. In some people a tremor is a symptom of a neurological disorder or appears as a side effect of certain drugs or excessive alcohol consumption.

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How Tremors Affect You

A tremor is an unintentional, rhythmic to-and-fro muscle movement involving one or more parts of the body.  The speed of the oscillations, the size of the movements, as well as the time that they occur depend on the underlying cause. Most tremors occur in the hands, but may also include the arms, head, face, voice, trunk, and legs.  Although the tremor itself is not life-threatening, it may indicate a more serious underlying condition which might be. Tremors can be very debilitating and embarrassing. Normal everyday functions that we take for granted may become impossible to perform as the shakes become more violent and uncontrollable. Some persons can no longer write legibly enough to even sign their names, put on makeup, feed or groom themselves.

 

Types of Tremors

Tremors are generally categorized based on whether they occur at rest or when the body part is actively being used. A resting tremor may occur when the hands are lying on the lap or hanging next to your side while standing or walking. This is the type of tremor seen in patients with Parkinson’s disease and is more difficult to treat.   An action tremor occurs during purposeful use of the affected body part such as when trying to sign your name, holding a sheet of paper or sipping from a spoon. The part of the brain often implicated in action tremors is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is vulnerable to excessive consumption of certain chemicals like alcohol or loss of activation, years following cervical spine trauma, as in a whiplash accident.

 

There is no cure for most tremors, especially resting tremors. Most cerebellar tremors are also irreversible, especially in the late stages. Early detection and correction of a possible cervical spine problem may be the key to restoration of function.

 

If you have a tremor and you have had a history of a whiplash accident or chronic poor neck postures, then it is time to visit a chiropractic neurologist to determine if correction is possible.