If you have tremors, you know they can be unpredictable. They may come and go, change throughout the day or get worse when you’re stressed or active.
For years, health care providers had to evaluate tremors in short, in-office exams. Symptoms don’t always show up there the way they do in daily life. “These in-clinic assessments capture only a snapshot in time and miss the variability that impacts daily living,” said Julie Pilitsis, MD, a neurosurgeon with Banner - University Medicine.
New wearables like the TreCap device are changing the way we can measure and track tremors. These devices collect real-time tremor data, so they give you and your provider clearer information to help guide your care.
What causes tremors?
“Tremor is an involuntary, rhythmic shaking that results from abnormal activity in the brain circuits that coordinate movement,” Dr. Pilitsis said. Tremors can affect the hands, arms, head or other parts of the body.
They are most often linked to:
- Essential tremor
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Metabolic issues
- Medication side effects
- Neurologic conditions
- Injury
Why measuring tremors is difficult
“Tremors are not constant,” Dr. Pilitsis said. They can vary based on stress, fatigue, caffeine, posture, mood, medication or time of day, which makes it tough to track them.
During a clinic visit, your tremors may look different from how they appear at home or work. “Tremor measured in the clinic is often milder than tremor measured at home, perhaps due to your body’s response to being at the doctor’s office,” Dr. Pilitsis said.
You may also find it hard to describe how often your tremors happen or how intense they feel. This can make diagnosis and treatment planning more complicated.
How wearable devices are changing tremor assessment
Wearable devices like TreCap track tremor patterns during regular daily movements. “Wearables move tremor evaluation out of the clinic and into the home. They monitor symptoms continuously, so clinicians can see how tremor behaves across an entire day: During meals, at work, while interacting socially or during stress,” Dr. Pilitsis said.
Wearable devices can measure:
- Tremor strength (amplitude)
- Tremor speed (frequency)
- How symptoms change throughout the day
- When tremors start or stop
“A wearable device provides objective data that better reflects a patient’s real-world experience and helps guide treatment decisions,” Dr. Pilitsis said.
How wearable devices for tremor assessment work
Sensors placed on the wrist or hand record movement in real time, so they give a better picture of tremor activity, compared to short in-office tests.
“Tremor wearables typically contain high-precision sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes that record movement hundreds of times per second,” Dr. Pilitsis said. Algorithms can tell the difference between tremors and normal daily motion.
Wearables track key tremor characteristics, like frequency, amplitude, duration and triggers and analyze the data so providers can review it. “Some platforms can highlight trends over time and response to medication or deep brain stimulation (DBS),” Dr. Pilitsis said. Many devices connect to a smartphone app or cloud dashboard.
Benefits of wearables for tracking tremors
- More accurate diagnosis and tremor monitoring: “Continuous, objective measurement replaces the variability of clinic-only assessments,” Dr. Pilitsis said. This data helps confirm how severe a tremor is and whether it’s changing over time. It’s especially helpful if you have symptoms that vary day to day.
- More personalized care: Real-time data can show how well your medications are working or whether you may need to change your dosage. “Clinicians can fine-tune medications, optimize dose timing or tailor therapies like deep brain stimulation based on real-world patterns,” Dr. Pilitsis said.
- Improved outcomes: Wearable data helps your provider better match your care to your needs.
- Empowerment: When data reflects your daily experiences, you can better understand your condition and identify triggers.
The potential of wearable devices in early diagnosis
Early detection can help keep tremors from getting worse and give you better long-term outcomes. Some early tremors are subtle and easy to miss during an appointment. Wearables can provide data over weeks or months.
“Trends may reveal worsening symptoms or side effects sooner than follow-up visits,” Dr. Pilitsis said. Wearable technology may help give you earlier access to treatment, therapy and lifestyle recommendations.
Remote monitoring and the future of digital neurology
- Care beyond the clinic: When you use a wearable device, your provider can follow your progress without as many in-person visits. This is convenient for everyone and is especially helpful if you live far from specialists or have mobility limits.
- Support for personalized treatment: Daily data helps your provider fine-tune your treatment plan based on your real-life patterns. It can also help guide occupational therapy, physical therapy, medication timing and other types of care.
- Integration with telehealth and new technologies: Wearables may soon connect with telehealth visits, automated alerts or AI tools that help identify changes sooner, so you can manage tremors better and more conveniently.
“In the near future, these digital health tools will help personalize medication dosing in real time, optimize deep brain stimulation settings remotely and even predict symptom flare-ups before people feel them. For people living with tremors, this represents meaningful progress toward more precise, individualized and proactive care,” Dr. Pilitsis said.
What you should know before trying a wearable device
- Wearables do not replace a medical exam or diagnosis
- Not all devices are reviewed or approved for clinical use
- Data accuracy varies by brand and model
- You should always talk with your provider before choosing a device
- Accuracy varies from device to device
- Not all devices are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Privacy and data security are important to consider
- You will need to remember to charge your device
- You may need a Bluetooth connection to use your device
When to talk with a neurologist
Reach out to a provider if you’re interested in using a wearable device to help track your symptoms or you have questions about how technology could support your treatment plan.
Talk to an expert if you have tremors that are new or getting worse or symptoms that affect daily tasks like eating, writing or using your phone.
Banner Health neurologists can help find the right tools and treatment options for your condition. Reach out to connect with support.
