Tip for dealing with hand tremor

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sbwertz

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My husband has essential tremor that causes his hands to shake. One of the most frustrating side effects is that it make it extremely difficult to eat soup, because his hand would shake and spill it before he could get it to his mouth. I had a brain storm and bought him some of these:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MCYCJ4P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works like a charm. They are deep enough that they don't slop out when his hand shakes. I keep a couple in the car for restaurants. I mentioned it to his neurologist last week and he thought it was a great idea and wrote it down to tell his other tremor patients. Thought some of you might find it handy...pun intended!:)
 
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bmachin

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Thanks Sharon.

I have the same problem and unfortunately it's pretty much forced me to give up on using (but not making) fountain pens. A dealer at the Ohio Pen Show suggested that I start using a Pilot extra broad ballpoint since the broader line won't show the tremor nearly as much. He's right. Unfortunately the refills are hard to find but worth the effort.

Bill
 

leehljp

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I have some from when we lived in Japan. SO MUCH better with soup (and cereal) than normal spoons.

I too get tremors especially in the evening when tired - and it is embarrassing when doing some public speaking and the mike shakes. Mine is mostly with the right hand so I shift to the left hand at that time.
 

magpens

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Sharon, thanks for posting this handy idea. . Don't need it yet, but might someday.

As for yours, Pete, what if the spoon electronic control recalibrates in transit from bowl to mouth ?????

I've been using digital electronics for umpteen years and I still don't trust it. . Everyday there is something unexpected on my desktop ... e.g. icons shift around willy-nilly, and other annoyances.

Of course, my computer is a Gatesian device. Your spoon is not ! . Maybe it senses the gravity vector !
 

Curly

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Well Mal if the spoon goes rogue on you once in a while can it be worse than a regular spoon where you'll wear all of the contents of the bowl? At least you get something down without having to have a care aid feed you. I'll take the independence even if it means some of the food goes flying. ;)
 

keithbyrd

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I have made a couple of pens for folks with Parkinson's - seems weight and size helps control the shaking - I use a cigar kit but make them just under 4 oz and just over 1 in at the nib section - not real pretty but have great testimonial. Note was written with her old pen and same with new pen. As I said pen not pretty but it works!
 

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magpens

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LOL, Pete ! ... I know it's not funny, but it sounded funny !

But a microchip controlled pen for people with hand tremor ... that should be an item for someone to develop !!
 
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sbwertz

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I have made a couple of pens for folks with Parkinson's - seems weight and size helps control the shaking - I use a cigar kit but make them just under 4 oz and just over 1 in at the nib section - not real pretty but have great testimonial. Note was written with her old pen and same with new pen. As I said pen not pretty but it works!

My husband has a weighted glove he wears for writing. Works the same way. It damps the tremor. But it didn't help with the eating, just the writing, because the hand is supported on the desk when writing, not in midair like when trying to get a spoon to his mouth.

https://www.therapro.com/Browse-Category/Weights/HandiWeight-Weighted-Glove-for-Handwriting.html
 
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Woodchipper

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I can understand what your husband is experiencing. My uncle had the same thing, severe tremors with his right hand. Greatly interfered with his coffee drinking, BTW. Had to learn to drink and eat left-handed.
 

Mortalis

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I worked with a gentleman that had Essential Tremors and although I would not recommend this for everyone but, he would have a drink during lunch and his tremors were almost non-existent for the rest of the day.
Alcohol is one of the ways proven to reduce the tremors.

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this disease.

Lifestyle and home remedies
To reduce or relieve tremors:

- Avoid caffeine. Caffeine and other stimulants can increase tremors.
- Use alcohol sparingly, if at all. Some people notice that their tremors improve slightly after they drink alcohol, but drinking isn't a good solution. Tremors tend to worsen once the effects of alcohol wear off. Also, increasing amounts of alcohol eventually are needed to relieve tremors, which can lead to alcoholism.
 

JPW062

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I worked in home healthcare. Mostly with older Parkinsons patients who were helthy enough to get out, but just needed someone to drive. Anyone who has been working at a restaurant long at all won't bat an eye at a request for soup to be served in a mug. I usually requested both to be served in a mug. If you are at all regular they will remember it. Quite a few have large soup mugs. It is really much easier than using a spoon even without a tremor. I bought a couple for home use.
 

leehljp

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I worked in home healthcare. Mostly with older Parkinsons patients who were helthy enough to get out, but just needed someone to drive. Anyone who has been working at a restaurant long at all won't bat an eye at a request for soup to be served in a mug. I usually requested both to be served in a mug. If you are at all regular they will remember it. Quite a few have large soup mugs. It is really much easier than using a spoon even without a tremor. I bought a couple for home use.
Since you bought this up again, I will relate what my neurologist said to me a couple of months ago and something that happened yesterday. I have the "essential tremors" and it has not been bad yet. But it is getting more and more. My neurologist said that I had Parkinson Like symptoms - which is "essential tremors".

It seems more consistent when I hold my cell phone to my ears than any other specific time; and sometimes at meals with spoon or fork. Right hand just shakes. When using my cell phone, I switch to my left side with left hand, the shaking stops, of course. Back to my right side with right hand and it shakes more and more. Yesterday, after swapping from side to side, then back on my right ear with right hand, for some reason I consciously released my grip to only the smallest amount of grip needed to hold it up to my ear - and the shaking stopped. Tremors Stopped!

My shaking was directly related to the amount of tension I applied in the grip. Some of you may know that, but I had never heard or read that. I am going to be consciously aware of this in the future and see just how tight my grip is, and if I can consciously release the grip tension just enough to stop the tremors and still hold with control - what ever it is that I am holding.

If this works, even somewhat, then it means that a "training exercise" may be able to reduce the essential tremors in some cases. My 94 year old aunt's hand shakes even at rest, and if that is so, training at this point probably will not help.
 

sbwertz

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My husband also notices this. He reads on a kindle paperwhite ereader, and if he just barely grips it with enough force to hold it, his hand doesn't shake, but if he tightens his grip the whole kindle shakes so much he can't read it. Unfortunately, writing with a pen or eating with a spoon requires more grip. For him it affects both hands.
 
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