National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Tremor is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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National Institutes of Health
Tremor
Tremors are unintentional trembling or shaking movements in one or more parts of your body. Most tremors occur in the hands. You can also have arm, head, face, vocal cord, trunk and leg tremors. Tremors are most common in middle-aged and older people, but anyone can have them.
Tremors commonly occur in otherwise healthy people. Sometimes, however, nerve diseases such as Parkinson's disease or dystonia, an overactive thyroid, or certain medicines can cause them. Heavy drinking, because it kills certain nerve cells, can cause tremors, too. Some forms are inherited and run in families. Others have no known cause.
There is no cure for most tremors. Treatment to relieve them depends on their cause. In many cases, medicines and sometimes surgical procedures can reduce or stop tremors and improve muscle control. Tremors are not life threatening. However, they can be embarrassing and make it hard to perform daily tasks.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Start Here
- Essential Tremor(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
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Tremor(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Also available in Spanish
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Learn More
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Overviews
- Essential Tremor(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Essential Tremor(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
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Tremor(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Tremor (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Essential Tremor: Diagnosis(We Move)
- Essential Tremor: Tremor Scale(We Move)
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Treatment
- Deep Brain Stimulation(American Association of Neurological Surgeons)
- Essential Tremor (ET) Medications(International Essential Tremor Foundation) - PDF
- Essential Tremor: Pharmacologic Treatments(We Move)
- Essential Tremor: Surgical Approaches to Treatment(We Move)
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Coping
- Essential Tremor (ET): Coping Tips(International Essential Tremor Foundation) - PDF
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Disease Management
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Related Issues
- Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease: How Do They Differ from Each Other?(International Essential Tremor Foundation) - PDF
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Essential Tremor(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Tremor(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Essential Tremor
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Genetics
- Essential Tremor: Causes/Genetics(We Move)
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Genetics Home Reference: Essential tremor(National Library of Medicine)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Glossary of Terms(We Move)
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Directories
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology)
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Organizations
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Also available in Spanish
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Children
- Tremor (Pediatric) Overview(We Move)
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Patient Handouts
- Essential tremor
- Also available in Spanish
- Hand tremor
- Also available in Spanish
- Tremor - self-care
- Also available in Spanish
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