Parkinson’s tremor

A tremor is a common characteristic of Parkinson’s disease and can manifest itself in two ways:

• A resting tremor occurs when the body and limbs are still and relaxed. One of the most typical forms of this tremor is known as ‘pill-rolling’, as your hands might look as if they are rolling a tiny object between thumb and index finger.
• An action tremor occurs when you are trying to take a sip from a cup, or to grasp something.

Parkinson’s tremors typically start in the hand before reaching other parts of the arm.

There are no tests to conclusively diagnose Parkinson’s disease.

Before making a diagnosis, your consultant will ask you to undertake some simple physical tasks and exercises. They will also ask you questions about your medical history. You might also have a brain scan to rule out other conditions.

Your consultant will talk you through the most suitable treatment options, which might include:

• introducing medication such as levodopa.
• physiotherapy
• taking exercise or complementary therapies to alleviate stress
• deep brain stimulation (DBS), a form of surgery which involves passing small electrical currents through a device called a neurostimulator to electrodes implanted in the brain.