Mummy, why is that lady doing the hokey pokey in the shopping centre?

Hokey pokey? Oh how I wish it was, little one!

That dreadful tremor suddenly appears as my hands go out to take hold of something. Usually, it is so good to sample whatever the sales promotion people are handing out. However, holding onto the little paper cup of juice and a delicate canapé at the same time can be very tricky when thinking, “Not now! Oh please, not right now!” Sure as God made those little green apples, the wobbles start! Right there in the supermarket isle. Slop goes the juice over hand and floor. Crumble, crumble goes the little toast thingy. Bits of whatever that was on the top now beneath someone’s foot as they struggle not to slip. Embarrassed? Uh ha, uh ha! Big time, mate!

Oh well, nobody ever died of embarrassment now, did they? Quickly regaining composure can be a little difficult when brain function, head, hands and carry bag just do not seem to connect in the correct sequence. When experiencing tremors, most people have little or no control over movement. In fact, many parts of our body may be affected by tremor.

There is no particular rule of emergence associated with the onset of tremor. The tremor may show its horrid little jack-in-the-box type appearance at any age! Sometimes it kind of sneaks its way into our movements, progressively developing in strength and frequency. For others, tremor may demand quite an aggressive introduction to our state of being. There is one thing tremors have in common. That is, intensifying during times of additional stress, nervousness and or illness.

It is something going wrong within our brain that triggers most tremors. The most common tremor is essential tremor. This form tends to appear when doing task focused things like writing, eating or using our hands in some other way. Tremor may be intergenerational within some families. Sometimes, tremor results from taking specific medications. Mental illness or emotional distress may contribute to tremor in some people. Tremor may also be associated with some of the following medical conditions.
Parkinson’s disease.
Dystonia.
Thyroid problems.
Multiple sclerosis.
Wilson’s disease.
Liver failure.
Brain injury.

If you have developed a tremor not yet diagnosed by your family doctor, specialist physician or some other health professional, seek a medical opinion now. Some tremors do not need specific treatment. Your doctor needs to be informed about tremor commencing if you are already on medication for another medical condition. Medication may need changing or dosage altered.

I hope you have found this article informative and helpful. Leave a comment if you would like to or email me at s.j.bayliss@bigpond.com.au.

Sue Bayliss. Cairns, Australia.