This common tremor essentially is treatable.

• Position: Neurology - Brief article

A trembling hand may be the first sign of essential tremor, which affects an estimated 10,000,000 Americans. Essential tremor most often involves hands that tremble while performing a task such as lifting a utensil or cup. This neurological condition also may cause the head to move side to side or up and down and may give the voice a shaky quality. Essential tremor typically does not become a problem until middle age or later It is not life threatening. Symptoms can be embarrassing and, in some cases, disabling, notes J. Eric Ahlskog, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.,

Essential tremor is believed to be caused by genetics but researchers have not yet identified the genes that might be responsible. Just over half of those afflicted have (or had) an immediate family member with the condition. It is not associated with Parkinson's disease, a progressive malady caused by damage to structures within the brain.

No treatment may be needed when symptoms are mild. Getting...