Essential tremor is a chronic neurological condition whose sole symptom is trembling of a body part.
Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder.
It is estimated that ten million people in the United States alone have such tremor. Tremor may involve various body parts, but the hands are most often affected. Hand tremor may cause difficulty with handwriting, eating, drinking liquids, using tools, sewing, shaving, and other activities requiring fine motor manipulations. Voice tremor is characterized by a quavering intonation in speech. The tongue, chin, trunk and legs can also be affected.