Tremor of the head with excitement. How to get rid of, treatment, causes, neurology

Head tremor indicates an increased activity of deep brain structures. It can be exacerbated by anxiety and other provoking factors, such as fatigue.

Tremor is also a symptom of some neurological diseases, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to carry out differential diagnostics to exclude them. Tremors can be relieved with medication, physical therapy, and exercise. Severe cases may require surgical treatment.

Causes of head tremors with excitement

Tremor of the head during excitement, which can be eliminated only when its true cause is identified, arises under the influence of both central and peripheral reflex mechanisms.

This phenomenon is based on increased excitability and rhythmic activity of brain structures. The centers responsible for these involuntary movements are located deep in the brain. Abnormal processes in its circuits can lead to tremors.

Head tremor also accompanies the following diseases:

• Cervical dystonia, in which painful muscle spasms occur (often in the facial region), an abnormal position of the neck and poor posture are formed, and excessively frequent blinking of the eyes. Head tremor in this case can be caused by dystonic spasms and neck pain. Sometimes the patient can take a position in which the tremor practically disappears. Half of the cases of dystonia are hereditary.
• Parkinson's disease (tremor palsy), in which the nerve cells that produce the hormone dopamine die. The tremor most often begins with the hands, and later involves the head and other parts of the body.

  

• Central nervous system trauma, acute impairment of blood circulation in the brain.
• Hysteria. Patients with this disease are characterized by an acute onset under the influence of emotional stress or fatigue, spontaneous improvement (reduction of symptoms) and relapses, positive effect when used placebo.

Tremor can also be physiological and occur when it is necessary to perform precise movements, overexertion, prolonged holding of the body and neck in one position, under stress. When these factors are eliminated, the condition becomes completely reversible.

Types and symptoms of head tremor

There are the following types of head tremor:

• By amplitude of jitter:

1. high-frequency tremor (8-12 Hz), characteristic of pathological conditions;
2. low-amplitude (less than 8 Hz).

• By involvement of other parts of the body:

1. isolated (head only; most often this is a manifestation of cervical dystonia);
2. combined (combined with trembling of the voice, tongue, muscles of the face, lower jaw, hands);
3. generalized, in which all parts of the body are involved.

• In connection with the patient's motor activity:

1. resting tremor (in a relaxed state);
2. tremor of action (when trying to hold a certain posture, when moving the head, during certain actions with other parts of the body).

The occurrence of involuntary movements is manifested in the form of the following symptoms:

• trembling of the head (back and forth as "yes-yes", or to the sides, "no-no");
• a gradual beginning, then an increase in movements with an increase in the activity of the process;
• with essential tremor - at first the hands begin to tremble, then the head; other neurological abnormalities are present, such as gait disturbance; the tremor increases when looking in one direction and weakens when looking in the other;
• strengthening of signs in the presence of provoking factors (indicated below).

Stages and degrees

Head tremor during excitement, which in some cases can be completely eliminated, is assessed by its frequency. It is measured by special sensors. The result is ranked in 4 groups - <4 Hz, 4-8 Hz, 8-12 Hz,> 12 Hz.

There is also the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin (FTM) scale, which consists of 3 parts, reflecting the physical and functional aspects of this deviation:

• Amplitude of jitter in points from 0 to 4.
• The degree of dysfunction (writing, transfusion of fluids, etc.).
• The presence of restrictions associated with everyday activities (eating, dressing, talking on the phone, etc.). The maximum score for this part of the assessment is 75 (the most restrictive).

Provoking factors

The onset and intensification of head tremor can be caused by the following factors:

• taking certain medications - to reduce shortness of breath, calcium channel blockers (Cinnarizine, Nifedipine), immunosuppressants (Cyclosporin A), antidepressants (Fluoxetine), antipsychotics, antiarrhythmics (Procainamide), antiepileptic drugs (valproic acid), beta-adrenergic receptor agonists, glucocorticoids;
• injuries to the nervous system, head;
• mental disorders associated with emotional distress;
• depression;
• fatigue;
• hypothermia and chills;
• a sharp refusal from alcoholic beverages in patients with alcohol dependence;
• hunger;
• age over 40;
• professional conditions (work requiring highly specialized motor actions);
• metabolic disorders (increased production of hormones in the thyroid gland, hypoglycemia - a decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood);
• heredity (cases of head tremor among the next of kin);
• drinking coffee, as it contains phosphodiesterase inhibitors;
• alcoholic and mercury intoxication.

Diagnostics

To determine the cause of involuntary head movements, the doctor may prescribe the following types of examinations:

• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to detect vascular and organic lesions;

  

• emission computed tomography of the brain (SPECT);
• pharmacological research (alcohol test and others).

Treatments for tremor of the head with excitement

There are several ways to treat head tremors:

• medication, as well as with the use of homeopathic remedies;
• with the help of physiotherapy;
• relaxing and strengthening the neck muscles through exercise and massage;
• by means of traditional medicine;
• in severe cases - with the help of surgical intervention.

Drug therapy

Head tremor during excitement, as mentioned above, can be physiological and pathological. If it causes significant inconvenience, then the doctor may prescribe medications to help get rid of the tremors. Fixed assets are listed in the table below.

Drug name	Main effect	Dosage for adults	Average price, rub.
Myotropic spasmolytics
Papaverine	Decreased muscle tone, blocking nerve endings from exposure to adrenaline	1 tablet (40 mg) per day, duration of treatment - 1 month	80
Hexamidine (Primidone)	Decreased neuronal excitability	125 mg once a day	400
Beta-blockers
Propranolol	Effects on adrenergic receptors	40 mg 2-3 times a day	1500
Antiepileptic drugs
Gabapentin	Decreased seizure activity	300 mg once a day	500
Topiramate	25 mg once a day	200
Sedative psychoactive drugs
Clonazepam	Anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, sedative effect	1 mg per day	970
Alprazolam	250 mcg 3 times a day	850

If the tremor is associated with dystonia, then botulinum toxin injections show good results. It blocks the release of neurotransmitters, as a result, the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles decreases, and tremor decreases.

Repeated procedures for the introduction of botulinum toxin are carried out in 3-4 months. The cumulative effect occurs by the eighth course of injections. In some patients, the tremor may disappear completely.

Folk remedies

In folk medicine, the following recipes are used to treat this deviation:

• Infusion of aniseed lofant. 2 h l. pour 1 tbsp of crushed leaves of a plant. boiling water. Insist until cooling, drain. Take ½ glass 3 times a day for 10 minutes. before meals.
• Propolis tincture. Take 1 tsp of pharmacy tincture. l., diluting it beforehand in 1/3 tbsp. drinking water. They also drink it 3 times a day, before meals.
• Tincture of harmala herb. Pour 100 g of dry crushed raw materials with 1 liter of alcohol (vodka), leave for 1 week. Take 10 drops, 3 times a day.

Vitamins

To reduce the tremor, your doctor may prescribe the following vitamins and microelements (separately or as part of complex preparations):

• magnesium - this trace element is necessary to maintain the activity of the nervous system;
• vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), with a deficiency of which neurological disorders and irreversible cell death of the nervous system can occur;
• vitamin B1 - its deficiency also leads to severe disorders of the nervous system;
• vitamin B1 (pyridoxine), the lack of which can cause seizures and impaired coordination of movements.

Physiotherapy treatment

Head tremor with excitement, to get rid of which is best helped by an integrated approach, lends itself to physiotherapy methods of treatment.

Of these, the following applies:

• relaxing baths (iodine-bromine, pearl, coniferous, sage, aromatic);
• hydromassage;
• magnetotherapy on the area of ​​the collar zone;
• acupuncture;
• massage.

Homeopathy

From homeopathic remedies for head tremor, the following drugs are used:

• Praseodymium phosphoricum 200C (3 granules at bedtime, do not combine with meals);
• Calcium phosphoricum 200C (calcium phosphoricum);
• Zincum sulfuricum 6C (5 granules, sublingually, outside of meals).

Surgery

In severe cases, when conservative treatment is ineffective, surgery is performed. During a neurosurgical operation, a special system is implanted for electrical stimulation of the deep structures of the brain.

The electrodes for the transmission of impulses to the brain are left to constantly influence the structures of the thalamus, which are responsible for tremulous hyperkinesis. The operation is performed under local anesthesia and under MRI control.

The mechanism of such an effect on the brain has not yet been fully understood.

Presumably electrical stimulation contributes to the desynchronization of pathological rhythms in:

• thalamus;
• segment of the globus pallidus;
• subthalamic nucleus and some other structures of the brain.

During stimulation, the patient can report his feelings to the doctor, which allows the selection of parameters on an individual basis. The effectiveness of treatment in studies varies greatly and is 15-100%. The best performance was achieved with bilateral surgery. The risk of complications is about 0.5%.

The latter include the following:

• sensitivity disorders (tingling sensation, burning sensation);
• speech disorders;
• instability when walking.

Exercises for head tremors

Warm up your neck muscles before starting to exercise to reduce head tremors. To do this, knead them with your fingertips in a circular and stroking motion.

Gymnastics is performed in the following order:

1. Put your right hand on your left ear (over the top) and tilt your head to the right, trying to stretch the neck muscles. Repeat the same for the other side.
2. Fingers crossed into a lock at the back of the head. Tilt your head forward, stretching your muscles a little, linger for a few seconds. Press down a little with your hands.
3. After that, make a similar movement from the side of the chin, carefully tilting the head back.
4. At the end of the exercises, it is recommended to perform light stroking movements along the back and side of the neck.

Yoga for head tremors

With this violation, you can perform the following set of yoga exercises:

1. Sit in the lotus position, straighten your back, put your palms on your hips. Simultaneously make several circular movements with both shoulders (lifting the shoulders on inhalation and lowering them on exhalation). Then repeat the same movements in the opposite direction. Gradually, you need to try to increase the amplitude of rotations, but you need to do this in such a way that a feeling of pain does not arise.
2. Then perform similar circular movements, but one shoulder at a time.
3. Raise your shoulders, squeeze your neck, tighten your muscles. Then relax them, lower your shoulders, try to stretch the spine up.
4. While inhaling, raise your head up, stretching the muscles under the chin, while exhaling, lower your head down. Repeat several times.
5. Then perform lateral head tilts, first to one side, then to the other.
6. After that, turn the head to the left and right, gradually stretching the neck muscles.
7. Cross your fingers in your palms on the back of your neck. Perform shallow rotational head movements.

Massage for head tremors

Massage for head tremor is performed as follows (all techniques are done 2-4 times):

1. First, light stroking movements are performed from the chin to the shoulders (symmetrically).
2. Then, the fingertips of the lateral muscles of the neck are vibrated slightly to relax them.
3. After that, stroking the forehead from its center to the temples is done.
4. Then, rubbing in a circular motion, massage with the back of the hand from the temples to the center of the forehead.
5. Repeat p. 3.
6. Stroking with a palm from the forehead to the back of the head.
7. After that, the fingertips are massaged in the same direction.
8. Repeat step 6.
9. Light tapping movements are performed with fingertips on the scalp.
10. Repeat step 1.

Possible complications

Head tremor itself is not dangerous. However, if it is a sign of a dangerous illness (traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, brain tumor, stroke, other lesions of the central nervous system), then the lack of treatment can be fatal or disability.

Head tremor significantly reduces the quality of life of patients for the following reasons:

• disorder of musculoskeletal function (difficulty eating, speaking, writing, performing other simple actions);
• curvature of the neck;
• decline in professional skills;
• limiting the amplitude of head movement.

Involuntary vibrating movements, or head tremors, are caused by the contraction of the muscles in the neck. Excitement, stress and increased stress are risk factors for this condition.

Tremor is also present in patients with neurological pathologies. To completely get rid of it, you need to contact a neurologist and conduct a full diagnosis. to exclude organic brain damage that can lead to disability and of death.

Head tremor video

Essential tremor: