Essential tremors is a neurological disorder characterized by shaking of a body part or involuntary movement that aggravates while using the affected muscle of that part. Essential tremors mainly affect the hands. However, the head and tongue may also be affected in some cases. Essential tremors are, most of the time, inherited.
Homeopathy offers a very effective treatment for multiple neurological problems including essential tremors. Initially, it reduces the intensity of the tremors. It also reduces the progression of tremors and further aims to eradicate it from its roots. Homeopathic medicines for essential tremors are very safe due to its natural origin and complete absence of any chemicals. In conventional mode of treatment, tranquilizers, anti-seizure medicines and beta blockers are usually used to manage this condition. Though, they offer relief but may cause dependence and side effects from prolonged use. While homeopathic medicines treat this condition with zero side effects, these also have no risk of dependence even after long-term use.
Homeopathy fixes the root cause
Homeopathic remedies after reducing the severity of the tremors in the initial phase treats the root cause behind the tremors to offer long term results and cure. With proper homeopathic treatment under the supervision of a qualified homeopath for the prescribed duration, many cases recover completely. The results vary as per the chronicity and intensity of the symptoms.
Highly reliable treatment option
Homeopathy is a very reliable 200-year-old science based on fixed laws. This makes it a very reliable and safe treatment process in essential tremors cases. Homeopathy works at a deep level in a natural way to boost the self-healing mechanism to overcome this issue naturally.
Prescription as per individual symptoms
Every case of essential tremors is treated as per the person’s characteristic symptoms. There are numerous remedies to treat essential tremors in homeopathy. The unique symptoms in every individual serve as the key indicators for administering the most appropriate medicines. So a detailed case evaluation followed by its analysis is done in every case to prescribe the best medicines. So one should consult a qualified homeopath and avoid self-medication strictly.
Top 9 Homeopathic Medicines for Essential Tremors
The top homeopathic remedies for essential tremors are Zincum Metallicum, Agaricus Muscarius, Lolium Temulentum, Gelsemium Sempervirens, Silicea, Phosphorus, Lycopodium, Argentum Nitricum and Mercurius Solubilis.
1. Zincum Metallicum – Top Grade Medicine For Essential Tremors
Zincum Metallicum is a highly recommended medicine for treating cases of essential tremors. It is effective for tremors of head, hands, and feet. The patients who suffer from essential tremors of hands and need this medicine may have constant shaking of hands. The complaint of jerking of hands that worsens especially while writing with excessive weakness in the hands. In the case of head tremors, the head is in involuntary movement from side to side. When trembling in the feet takes place, there is frequent stumbling. When complaints of tremors aggravate from emotional excitement (like anger, joy, sadness), Zincum Metallicum is a useful remedy. It can be used if trembling occurs in all the limbs or in the entire body.
When to use Zincum Metallicum?
Zincum Metallicum is the best choice of medicine for essential tremors of head, hands, and feet that gets worse from emotional excitement like joy, anger, or sadness. For those who need it, the worsening of hand tremors is seen while writing and head tremors usually occur in a side to side motion.
How to use Zincum Metallicum?
This medicine is usually used in 30C potency just once in a day.
2. Agaricus Muscarius – For Tremors with Anxiety, and Jerking
Agaricus Muscarius is very effective remedy to manage essential tremors of legs, hands, head, and tongue. This medicine is mainly administered to patients who complain of excessive trembling of hands when one moves them.
This medicine also proves to be very beneficial if shaking of hands takes place while holding objects, often resulting in them being dropped. It is also an important medicine for head tremors that can be constant. It is accompanied by an excessively cool feeling in the head. Further, its use is suggested for trembling of the tongue resulting in unclear speech. It can also be used to manage trembling of legs. Trembling may be attended with anxiety and weakness. Besides, jerking of eyelids also indicates the use of this remedy.
When to use Agaricus Muscarius?
It is a very suitable medicine for treating essential tremors of legs, hands, head, and tongue. It is indicated to manage the trembling of hands during their movement or while holding objects and head tremors accompanied by an excessive cool feeling in the head. The trembling of the tongue occurs along with unclear speech which is another important indication.
How to use Agaricus Muscarius?
Initiate this medicine in 30C potency one to two times a day as per the severity of the symptoms.
3. Lolium Temulentum – For Shaking Of All The Limbs
This is a wonderful medicine if shaking is present in all the limbs. Patients who need this medicine have difficulty holding objects like a glass or a cup due to shaky hands. There may be trembling in the hands while writing. Limbs are cold to touch, gait is unsteady.
When to use Lolium Temulentum?
This medicine is suggested for managing cases where shaking of all limbs is observed.
How to use Lolium Temulentum?
It offers remarkable results in 30C potency that can be administered once a day.
4. Gelsemium Sempervirens – For Tremors With Muscle Weakness
This natural medicine is used for essential tremors when trembling of the affected part is accompanied by excessive muscle weakness. Those who need this medicine always complain of profound dullness and drowsiness. This medicine works well in those cases where the tremors are intensified by emotional excitement or fear. Its use is mainly recommended for essential tremors of limbs and the tongue.
When to use Gelsemium Sempervirens?
One may use it for managing tremors attend with drowsiness, dullness and weakness.
How to use Gelsemium Sempervirens?
This medicine in 30C potency can be administered twice a day for best possible results.
5. Silicea – For Hand Tremors When Using Hand
Silicea is another remedy to treat essential tremors of the hands while using them. For example, trembling of hands may take place while eating, writing or holding anything. Such patients can also face difficulty in doing fine work due to excessive shaking of hands; for instance, threading a needle appears to be a very cumbersome task for them. In general, people who require this medicine are the nervous, anxious type.
When to use Silicea?
The key indicator for using this medicine is trembling of hands while writing, eating or holding any object.
How to use Silicea?
Consider its use in 30C potency one to two times daily.
6. Phosphorus – For Tremors Of Limbs Worse From Exertion
Phosphorus is the next best remedy for essential tremors that aggravate due to exertion. It is of great help when hand tremors worsen due to exertion. The excessive shaking of hands poses a lot of difficulty in holding anything. This medicine is also meant for the patient who reports numbness or a crawling sensation in the hands along with trembling of hands.
When to use Phosphorus?
This medicine is administered for tremors of the limbs that aggravate due to exertion.
How to use Phosphorus?
Phosphorus in different potencies like 30C, 200C and 1M. Among these, usually 30C potency is used once a day as the treatment is initiated.
7. Lycopodium Clavatum – For Essential Tremors Of Head
Lycopodium Clavatum is used is there is involuntary, causeless shaking of head and is accompanied by dizziness. The key symptom among the patients who need Lycopodium is the continuous movement of the head either from side to side (a no-no movement) or backward and forward (a yes-yes movement).
When to use Lycopodium Clavatum?
Lycopodium is indicated for managing tremors of the head with side-to-side movement or backward and forward movement.
How to use Lycopodium Clavatum?
Though this remedy can be used in both low and high potency, to begin with, 30C potency is good and should be taken one to two times daily.
8. Argentum Nitricum– Essential Tremor from Anticipation and Anxiety
This medicine is useful in essential tremor if the shaking is mainly triggered by anxiety, anticipation, or due to emotional stress. The tremor becomes more noticeable when one has a fear of being observed, performance pressure, or stressful situations, and often reduces when the person is calm or distracted. There is poor control over voluntary movements, with unsteady, shaky hands during fine activities such as writing or holding objects. The nervous system appears over-stimulated yet weak, leading to trembling with general debility and lack of coordination. This remedy is especially suited to essential tremor cases in which emotional trauma, anticipatory anxiety, and nervous exhaustion form the core of the condition, rather than any structural neurological damage.
When to use Argentum Nitricum?
Argentum Nitricum is well administered in tremors caused by anxiety, anticipation & nervous excitement, especially before public performance or stress.
How to use Argentum Nitricum?
It can be initiated with 30C potency, once a day.
Higher potencies such as 200C, 1M can be administered under the strict guidance of a qualified homoeopath.
9. Mercurius Solubilis – For Tremors Of Hands, Neck, Legs And Tongue
Mercurius Solubilis is a wonderful medicine for the trembling of the neck, hands, and tongue. For those who need it, tremors mostly begin in the fingers. Due to shaky hands, there is an inability to lift or carry anything with the hands. There is difficulty in eating with hands and drinking water without spilling. Hand trembling is accompanied by marked weakness. It is also administered for tremors of the neck and the legs. Tremors aggravate from exertion. Merc Sol also works well if there is excessive trembling of tongue and voice is shaky, accompanied by profuse mouth salivation.
When to use Mercurius Solubilis?
This medicine works well in cases of tremors of hands, legs, neck, and tongue, especially when exertion aggravates them.
How to use Mercurius Solubilis?
Merc Sol 30C can be taken once or twice daily.
Types of Tremors in Essential Tremors
1. Action Tremor
Action tremor occurs when a person is performing a voluntary motion. The shaking is noticeable while doing activities that require the use of hands or other affected parts of the body, such as drinking from a glass, eating, buttoning clothes, writing, or tying shoelaces. This is the most common type of tremor observed in essential tremor. It is often the main reason patients face difficulty in routine activities.
2. Postural Tremor
Postural tremor appears when a person holds a body part in a fixed position against gravity. For example, tremors may be seen when the arms are stretched out in front, while holding a phone, or while keeping the head upright. The shaking starts as one assumes a posture and may aggravate if the position is held for a longer time.
3. Rest Tremor
Rest tremor occurs when the affected body part is relaxed and at rest, such as when the hands are resting on the lap. In essential tremor, rest tremor is less common and usually mild. It often improves or disappears once the person starts moving the affected part.
Cause Behind Essential Tremors
The exact cause of essential tremors is not known. But the following observations are to be noted:
1. Changes in some part of the brain are seen among those who show such symptoms, as per recent research.
2. Essential tremors run in families, and over 50 per cent people afflicted by the illness have it in their family. Here, it arises from altered genes. This inherited form of essential tremor is known as familial tremor. If even one parent carries an altered gene, then there are 50 per cent chance that the child will present the symptoms of essential tremor.
3. It can affect people irrespective of age, although the odds of its occurrence rise as one ages. Essential tremor is usually seen among people who are 40 years or older.
4. Anxiety,stress, caffeine, smoking, fatigue, extreme cold, and hot temperature, low blood sugar, thyroid, and strong emotions are some of its causes. Taking lithium salts or antidepressants can make the tremors worse.
Signs And Symptoms
The main symptom of essential tremor is shaking, which consists of rapid, rhythmic movements. The intensity of tremors can vary from mild to severe. In some individuals, tremors occur only in certain situations, while in others they are present more frequently.
–Tremors usually take place while using the affected body part.
–Difficulty in eating, drinking, dressing, and writing is observed in moderate to severe cases.
–Both sides of the body are often affected, but one side may be more tremor prone.
–Tremors may aggravate with activity, fatigue or stress.
Body Parts Commonly Affected:
1. Hands and arms: Shaking while performing routine activities like holding objects, eating or writing.
2. Head and neck: Involuntary head motion: The head movement can be up and down (a motion as when one nods a yes) or side to side (a motion when one nods a no).
3. Voiceand tongue: Shaky or quivering voice, difficulty in speaking clearly.
4. Legs & feet: Tremors may cause unsteadiness, balance, or gait problems.
5. Face: Twitching seen in the affected parts of the face, such as twitching of the eyelids.
Essential tremors vs Parkinson’s disease — Are they same?
These are not the same conditions, but many times, there could be confusion about the two.
The key differences are as follows:
1. Essentialtremors mainly occur while using hands, while in Parkinson’s disease, the tremors occur when hands are at rest.
2. In essential tremors, no other problem is noticeable besides shaking. In Parkinson’s disease, movement becomes slow, posture is stooped, gait issues are seen, though in essential tremors, sometimes there could be difficulty in walking.
Complications
Though tremors are not a critical issue, they have a tendency to gradually worsen over the years. Eventually, the tremors may become so intense that completing regular, routine activities can prove to be difficult. For example, it may result in difficulty in holding a glass, drinking from a glass of water, eating with a spoon/fork, combing, shaving, tying shoelaces, cooking, and wearing clothes. One may face difficulty in talking and may have a shaky voice. Writing clearly/neatly may also be affected.
Diagnosis And Investigations
There is no lab test to diagnose essential tremors. It is diagnosed based on the clinical symptoms. A physician will take note of the symptoms, medical and family history, and do a physical examination of the sufferer having tremors. Essential tremors are diagnosed by ruling out other medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms. If there is doubt between essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease, then the dopamine transporter test is advised (this test confirms Parkinson’s disease).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can caffeine aggravate tremors?
Absolutely. Tea, energy drinks, coffee or anything with caffeine can temporarily increase the severity of tremors.
2. Can meditation or yoga help in managing tremors?
Yes. Stress reducing activities like meditation, deep breathing, yoga can reduce tremor severity by calming the nervous system.
3. At what age does Essential Tremor begin?
It can begin at any age, but it mostly appears among adolescents or after the age of 40.
4. Are both hands always affected?
Usually, both hands are affected, but one side could be more affected than the other, especially in the early stages.
5. How is Essential Tremor different from normal shaking?
Normal shaking due to temporary factors like fear or cold, whereas Essential Tremor is persistent and occurs regularly during action.
6. Is Essential Tremor linked damage of the brain?
No. Essential Tremor is a functional neurological disorder that is not caused by brain injury or stroke.
7. Is homeopathic treatment safe for long-term use?
Yes. Homeopathic remedies are safe, gentle, non-habit forming, and suitable for long-term management when administered correctly.
8. Can homeopathy slow the progression of Essential Tremor?
With early and personalized homeopathic care, it is often possible to slow down the progression of Essential Tremor and help prevent further aggravation of the symptoms.