Essential Tremor vs Parkinson’s Tremor: How to Identify the Difference

Essential Tremor vs Parkinson’s Tremor: How to Identify the Difference

Tremors can create a lot of anxiety. People have a medical condition that many link with Parkinson’s disease. However, many do not know that this is also a symptom of another disorder called Essential Tremor. The disorder’s symptoms can mimic those of Parkinson’s disease. Patients lose the ability to determine the difference.

Discerning the differences between Parkinson’s disease and Essential Tremor is crucial for obtaining the correct diagnosis. Movement is affected in both conditions, but is caused by different things, occurs in different sequences, and can be treated differently.

Tremors Explained

A tremor is a pathological condition of the body where there is uncontrollable and rapid oscillation of muscles in a sequenced pattern. It can affect almost every muscle group of the body, including the neck, limbs, and sometimes the voice.

In the case of Parkinson’s and Essential Tremors, the brain’s movement centres are disrupted. However, between the two conditions, the causes and the symptoms are distinct.

Doctors can develop the best possible treatment by identifying the causes and symptoms.

What is an Essential Tremor?

Essential Tremor is a highly common disorder that causes shaking in arms and hands, and in some cases, the head, voice, and other parts of the body.

Essential tremor can affect people of any age, but is more frequently seen among the older population. Most of the time, it may run in the same families.

Essential Tremor is different from Parkinson’s Disease. Essential tremor doesn’t have any other symptoms associated with it, other than those that are cognitive, such as stiffness or slow movement. Tremors are usually noticed when a person is writing, holding a glass, or using a fork.

What is Parkinson’s Tremor?

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, balance and coordination, and is caused by the degeneration of the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine.

Dopamine is the brain chemical that is responsible for smooth and coordinated movement. In the absence of adequate dopamine, the brain loses the ability to regulate and control the activity of the muscles.

Parkinson’s tremor is different from Essential Tremor in that it comes with additional symptoms such as stiffness, slow movements and problems with balance. The tremor usually starts on one side of the body, and as the disease progresses, it spreads to the other side.

How To Tell Essential Tremors And Parkinson’s Apart

There are different ways to tell Essential Tremors and Parkinson’s apart.

• When the shaking happens: Essential Tremors occur with movement like writing or holding something. Parkinson’s shakes occur when the arms are resting.

• Which areas shake: Many people with Essential Tremors shake both arms and head, while people with Parkinson’s usually only present shaking on one side.

• Extra Symptoms: People with Essential Tremors have no extra neurological symptoms, while people with Parkinson’s often have stiffness and can take slow steps.

• How quickly does the shaking get worse: People with Parkinson’s shaking get worse quickly, while people with Essential Tremors might have shakes that remain the same or only change a little with time.

It can help doctors tell the difference so they can help people.

Examples of Essential Tremor Symptoms

• Shaking hands while doing an activity
• Shaking of the head and/or voice
• Struggles with regular movements like drinking or writing
• Tremors caused or worsened by stress, fatigue, or caffeine.

Essential Tremor can interfere with daily tasks, but it does not cause any major neurological disabilities.

Examples of Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms

• Tremors while the body is still
• Slowness of movement (bradykinesia)
• Muscle stiffness
• Poor balance and posture
• Altered speech and facial expressions

In addition to movements, Parkinson’s may also cause sleep disorders, mood variability with possible depression, constipation and may eliminate the sense of smell.

How to Get a Diagnosis

To find the cause of a patient’s tremor, a neurologist or a movement disorder doctor must do a detailed diagnosis.

To do this, a doctor first has to take the detailed medical history of the patient and conduct an interview to find out the possible cause of the tremors. During the interview, the doctor tries to discover the onset of the tremor, duration of the tremor, cycle of the tremor, and the effect of the tremor on the patient’s daily tasks.

Impairments of the neurologic system are diagnosed with clinical evaluations, including movement, coordination, reflex, and stiffness of the muscles. Whether the tremor occurs while the patient is moving or resting is a major clue to determine the cause of tremors.

Imaging tests such as MRI scans or specific brain scans may be needed to rule out other possible neurologic conditions.

The treatment options differ based on the diagnosis. Because of this, it is important to get the condition diagnosed early and correctly.

Treatment Options and New Technologies

The treatment of essential tremors and Parkinson’s tremors is based on the degree of the symptoms and how much they affect the patient’s life.

In managing tremors, medications are usually the first option. Remember, physiotherapy can also be beneficial. Adjustments to lifestyle are also of help in improving movement and coordination.

In cases of more advanced symptoms that are not controlled with medications, advanced options such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) or MR-guided Focused Ultrasound are recommended.

Focused Ultrasound is a recent treatment option that is non-invasive. Ultrasound waves are directed at specific areas of the brain that are responsible for tremors. Since there are no actual surgical dissections involved, it is a less invasive option for certain patients.

Improved therapy methods and new technologies are reshaping neurological care. Vattikuti Technologies is one of the sponsors concentrating on new medical technologies for better neurological patient care. Vattikuti Technologies sponsors advanced and less invasive techniques to improve the quality of care for patients suffering from movement disorders.

Why You Should Seek Assessment Early

Regardless of how harmless the shaking and tremors may seem, it is better to consult a health professional if the case is persistent. Through early assessment, the practitioner is able to identify the cause and administration of treatment can commence.

People suffering from tremor disorders can greatly benefit from the services offered by health care practitioners and the application of new treatment technologies. Patients can confidently carry out their routines without fear.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I know if my tremor is an essential tremor or a Parkinson’s tremor?
For essential tremors, the shaking and tremors begin when the person is performing an activity (such as shaking, holding an object or writing). In Parkinson’s tremors, the shaking occurs when the person is inactive (such as resting). To be able to assess and diagnose the case accurately, a neurologist should be consulted.

2. Are essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease the same condition?
No. They are distinguished neurological conditions. Essential tremor primarily causes shaking while moving. Parkinson’s disease has other symptoms, including muscle rigidity, slowness of movement, and issues with balance.

3. Can anything be done to treat tremors other than operating?
Yes, it is possible to treat many tremors with the use of medications and therapy. MR-guided Focused Ultrasound is one of the newer treatment options that may be available for patients with significant symptoms. The Vattikuti Foundation supports improvements in the precision and availability of treatment options.