Tremors are involuntary abnormal movements that make the part of the body affected look like it is shaking or trembling. While certain tremors are rhythmic, many others are intermittent. A number of tremors can appear at rest, and some only appear while doing a functional task. Parkinson’s disease is one of the most prominent medical conditions due to which one may get tremors. To manage these tremors, patients can always seek assistance from experts like Joon Faii Ong London, who are intimately familiar with Parkinson’s disease. Living with tremors can be quite challenging for many as it can cause problems in varying daily activities.
Tremors are one of the key symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This medical condition ideally causes resting tremors. This basically means that the tremors initially occur only when the arms or legs are at rest. Medications recommended by a neurologist can help in managing the tremors. However, apart from the medical, there are various non-pharmacological strategies that one may try out to handle these tremors. A few of them are:
- Keeping the arms close to the body as much as possible. The greater proximal stability and input that is provided to an affected arm can help reduce tremors during any functional activity.
- Stabilizing the arms on a surface while engaging in an activity. For example, while eating, one must try to keep their elbows on the table to manage tremors.
- Avoiding multitasking. Patients with Parkinson’s disease may face issues in multitasking, especially if they have to stand throughout the activities. Hence, it is better to complete one task at a time.
- Shaving, brushing the teeth, combing the long hair and other such activities that you may do with your hands while standing should be avoided after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. It is better to sit and complete these tasks, to better manage the upper body tremors.
- Managing stress. Anxiety, frustration, fatigue and stress can worsen the tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease. Hence, if a person finds themselves becoming too stressed or frustrated, they should try and take a couple of deep breaths and start the task over. Taking a small break would also be a good idea to distract the mind. Doing so will enable the nervous system to reset and better manage tremors.
- Exploring adaptive equipment like rocker knives or button hooks to increase fine motor skills.
- Keeping a log of tremors and when they are at their worst and best. This will help the patients to gain a rough idea about when their tremors may occur, and therefore complete their daily activities during the time of the day when the tremors are less severe.
Using GyroGlove can also significantly assist people to manage hand tremors. It essentially is a wearable smart glove invented by Joon Faii Ong London, which uses gyroscopes to counteract the force generated by the tremors.