Hand tremors

Everyday living
1

hi

May I ask what/if anyone finds anything useful to manage hand tremors.

I am suffering more with these tremors on a daily basis.

thanks

neil

2

Hello Neil,

I take Clonazepam which helps me with tremors, of course you could try sitting on them! Joking aside have a word with your GPs as they may come up with something else. Hope this helps.

Janet

x

3

Cheers Janet

a visit to my GP it is then.

Neil

4

I take propanalol for mine, and whilst it doesn’t eradicate the problem completely, it does help.

Pam x

5

I had to have physio for two fingers on my right hand that stopped working due to trigger finger. Part of the physio was to get a very hard small ball, rub it on every tiny section of the lower arm downwards towards the wrist and press hard so that every bit of muscle felt it. I had to do this for ages then do the same on my palms. I did it for both hands hopefully in order to prevent any worsening. It helped my hand but strangely, it also seems to have helped my tremor which I only have in the right side. The GP thinks it loosens things up a bit so the tremor may be there but it is not so obvious. Probably load of rubbish but might be worth a go? I also do stretching arms and fingers every day flapping about like a big bird, I think this has helped the tremor a little too. Some days I wake up and just shake but others not too bad. So I continue doing these little excercises just in case they are even giving me a 1% benefit. I do them watching tele too.

6

Hi Neil

First question is what sort of tremor you have:

  • Essential tremor is a bit like Parkinsons tremor - small movements but quite fast.
  • Intention tremor is where (say) you reach for something and your hand goes off in a different direction - big movements but at a slow speed (this is more typical of MS).

Second question is have you got a copy of the MS Society’s booklet ES04 “Tremor”? It could maybe answer a lot of your questions.

I have Intention tremor in my left hand, and it was making it difficult to move the indicator stalk on my car. The practical cure was to wear a pair of fairly stiff leather gloves. Now I am finding that to move the gearshift out of Park, I need to pudh down quite firmly on the gearshift. If I don’t I cannot locate the shift lock button with my thumb.
Some people find a medication that works for them - I have not found one yet.

Geoff