Trembling hands and involuntary movements in the legs, arms, or head are often signs of Parkinson’s disease. However, these symptoms can also occur due to a common and less severe condition: Essential Tremor.
The two movement disorders are often confused because their symptoms and treatments overlap in some areas. Let’s take a look at each one in detail:
Essential tremor
Essential tremor (ET) is a neurological disorder that causes rhythmic and involuntary shaking, usually in the arms and hands. Although the condition isn’t life-threatening, in severe chronic cases, it can cause disability and makes simple tasks rather difficult—such as eating from a spoon or tying shoelaces.
Tremors that start in the hand can affect the head as well. This typically presents itself as a tremor of low-amplitude, meaning that the shaking is relatively mild. As the condition progresses, the tremors may become more severe.
Research isn’t sure of the definitive cause of essential tremor, but studies suggest that the condition may be inherited.
Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological movement disorder that affects approximately 500,000 Americans. Tremors are a characteristic symptom of Parkinson’s disease, causing persistent shaking or twitching in the hands, legs or chin. They worsen and gradually develop over the years, leading to a severe disability eventually.
Parkinson’s tremors commonly start on one side of the body and progress to the other side. Moreover, Parkinson’s has other prominent symptoms, including slow movements and stiff, rigid muscles.
Recognizing the difference
ET is nearly 8 times more common than PD, and the two are presented in different ways. The key differences to look for in the two conditions are:
Differences in the frequency of the tremors
An essential tremor generally has a higher frequency initially, i.e., more repetitions are seen over a length of time. But the frequency can decrease over the years. In Parkinson’s, on the other hand, the frequency of the tremor is low at the very beginning.
The strength of the tremor also differs in both conditions: in ET, the strength of the tremor is variable, ranging from barely noticeable to very high, whereas the strength of the tremor is constantly high in PD.
Rest vs. Action tremor
People with PD, mostly experience “resting tremors,” which means that the tremors are mostly seen when the body part is at rest. In ET, the tremors are usually felt more when in motion or action, such as when eating, writing or holding a posture. They’re called “action tremors.”
Furthermore, ET sometimes affects the voice and head, but PD almost never does.
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Dr. Farzin Pedouim, a leading Parkinson’s disease specialist, uses cutting-edge technology including deep brain stimulation treatment and Duodopa pump treatment to reduce the symptoms of severe movement disorders like Parkinson’s.
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