What causes muscle tremors

Muscle tremors are vibrations that occur at a frequency of 4 to 6 times per second. This is called muscle tremor, which is a symptom of a disease of the central nervous system. There are many causes, such as lesions of the substantia nigrostriatum pathway. It may also be caused by craniocerebral trauma or arteriosclerosis. You need to go to the hospital for examination and understanding in time. Let us understand what exactly causes muscle tremor?

What causes muscle tremors?

1. Physiological tremor

Under certain circumstances, most normal people develop a fine, rapid tremor in the hands when the arms are held outstretched. Intensification of physiologic tremor may occur with anxiety, stress, fatigue, metabolic disturbances (e.g., alcohol withdrawal, thyrotoxicosis), or the use of certain drugs (e.g., caffeine and other phosphodiesterase inhibitors, beta-adrenergic agonists, corticosteroids).

2. Essential (benign hereditary) tremor

A subtle to coarse slow tremor that usually affects the hands, head, and vocal cords. In 50% of cases, there is an autosomal dominant factor. The tremor may be unilateral. The tremor is minimal or absent at rest, but can be triggered when the patient performs delicate movements and can be enhanced by any of the factors listed above that can enhance physiological tremor. The incidence of essential tremor increases with age and is occasionally mistakenly referred to as senile tremor.

3. Resting tremor in Parkinson's disease

Tremor in Cerebellar Disorders Intention tremor (as seen in multiple sclerosis and other disorders of cerebellar efferent function) occurs when a moving limb approaches its target. Supportive (positional) tremor is a coarse rotational tremor of the proximal limb that is most pronounced when the patient is trying to maintain a fixed posture or bear weight.

Titubation is a coarse tremor of the head and body, and is also a supportive tremor that is obvious when maintaining an upright posture and disappears when lying flat. Asterixis is seen in cases of hepatic encephalopathy and other metabolic encephalopathy. When the patient stretches his hands forward, a coarse, slow, non-rhythmic movement will occur. Electromyographic recording can be observed when the patient tries to maintain a fixed posture, intermittent myoelectric static electricity occurs in the muscles that resist gravity, causing a asterixis; therefore, it is not a true tremor, but a myoclonic phenomenon, a negative myoclonus.

Intention tremor and rest tremor may occur in Wilson disease (Wilson's disease - see Section 4). The most characteristic is rhythmic tapping of the distal extremities or flapping of the proximal extremities.