Though not fatal, tremor can cause loss of functionality and embarrassment. There are many ways to classify tremor, and many different kinds of tremor. The most common classification is determined by position or behavioral context. Resting tremor, also known as static tremor, occurs while muscles are not being used, or while the hands are resting on an object. This type of tremor is most common among persons with Parkinson's disease.
Postural tremor occurs while a patient is trying to maintain a pose, such as raising the hands.
Kinetic tremor, also known as intention tremor and action tremor, occurs while the patient is attempting to move purposefully. Hysterical tremor, also called psychogenic tremor, occurs equally in old and young patients. Taking its name from psychology, its most prominent feature is its tendency to diminish or disappear entirely when the patient ceases to focus his or her attention on the tremor. Task-specific tremors include writing tremor, vocal tremor and orthostatic tremor, which affects the legs only. Although various treatments are available to help persons suffering with tremor, which treatment will work best with a given patient depends substantially upon the particular type of tremor the patient has and what underlying problems may be causing it.