Tremor Reducer

If you have a tremor, you may find that you can get a reduction in its intensity for a few seconds by intentionally moving the affected part of your body at 90 degrees to the tremor. The relief is normally only short lived: once you stop intentionally moving, the tremor usually returns.

Here's how you can see if this works for you. If you have a hand tremor, put a finger on a smooth surface; making sure not to press down with any force. Allow the finger to move with the tremor. Determine the direction of the tremor. Now intentionally move the finger backwards and forwards, by just a few millimeters, about once per second, at right angles to the tremor. Does this temporarily reduce your tremor?

If you have a laptop with a pressure pad, you can use the program below. It monitors your tremor in real-time; determines the direction of movement caused by the tremor and suggests a direction in which to move your finger. (If your tremor is small, the computer may not detect the motion. This is the case if the cursor is not moving.)

To run the program:

• press the blue button below;
• put a finger lightly on the pressure pad;
• wait a few seconds for the program to get enough data to suggest a direction, shown by a green line;
• take your finger off the pad;
• move your finger backwards and forwards parallel to the green line;
• press f5 (the refresh button) to stop the program.