Diagnosis

Diagnosing essential tremor involves reviewing your medical history, family history and symptoms and conducting a physical examination.

There are no medical tests to diagnose essential tremor. Diagnosing it is often a matter of ruling out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms. To do this, your doctor may suggest the following tests:

Neurological examination

In a neurological examination, your doctor tests your nervous system functioning, including checking your:

• Tendon reflexes
• Muscle strength and tone
• Ability to feel certain sensations
• Posture and coordination
• Gait

Laboratory tests

Your blood and urine may be tested for several factors, including:

• Thyroid disease
• Metabolic problems
• Drug side effects
• Levels of chemicals that may cause tremor

Performance tests

To evaluate the tremor itself, your doctor may ask you to:

• Drink from a glass
• Hold your arms outstretched
• Write
• Draw a spiral

If your doctor is still unsure if your tremor is essential tremor or Parkinson's disease, he or she might order a dopamine transporter scan. This scan can help your doctor tell the difference between the two types of tremor.