Tremor In Your Hands? Here Are Some Possible Causes

Hands can shake and tremble for any number of reasons — from serious health conditions like Parkinson’s disease to more benign reasons, such as simply being tired.

Given the complexity of the matter, Dr. Paul Gill and our team at Gill Neuroscience thought it would be a good idea to outline some rules of thumb for hand tremors. 

In the following, we look at the different types of hand tremors, some of the more common causes, and next steps.

Different types of hand tremors

There are many different types and causes of hand tremors. To give you a better idea, consider these different types of hand tremors:

Postural tremor

If you stretch your arms out straight in front of you but can’t keep your hands steady, this is called postural tremor. 

Intention tremor

Your hand shakes when you’re trying to do something, such as pour liquid into a cup.

Essential tremor

This is a type of tremor that causes involuntary shaking of certain body parts, including the hands.

Cerebellar tremor

Your cerebellum helps coordinate movement, so if there’s damage in this part of your brain, you can develop intention tremors.

Medication-induced tremor

Certain medications, such as antidepressants, can lead to tremors in your hands.

Withdrawal tremor

Nearly 10% of Americans aged 12 and older reported an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2024. When people with AUD go through withdrawal, they often develop shaky hands.

Parkinsonian tremor

Parkinson’s disease affects 1.1 million Americans, and among the more common side effects  are hand tremors, especially when your hands are at rest.

Post-stroke tremor

Someone has a stroke every 40 seconds in the United States, and one of the lingering effects can be hand shaking due to damage to certain areas of the brain.

Believe it or not, this list still doesn't cover the entire issue, but it gives you a good idea about the complex landscape of hand tremors.

When you shouldn’t ignore hand tremors

As you can see from the list, hand tremors are far from straightforward, so we want to give you some rules of thumb:

• If the hand tremors develop for unknown reasons and they’re ongoing, come see us for an evaluation
• If hand tremors accompany certain activities or positions, it's a good idea to have us check it out
• If you already have a diagnosis that includes hand tremors as a possible side effect, report the issue to the doctor who manages your care

The bottom line is that you should err on the side of caution when it comes to hand tremors, as they might be a warning flag of something larger. They might also boil down to a harmless condition, but knowing this will give you some peace of mind.

To untangle the world of hand tremors and get to the bottom of your shaking hands, we invite you to call our Houston, Texas, office at 832-912-7777, to schedule a visit. You can also use our online form to request an appointment.