What Causes A Generalized Slowness Of Movement And Hand Tremors Upon Initiating Activities In The Elderly?

Posted on Sun, 11 Mar 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 11 Mar 2018 Answered on

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi. I have a question about my mom’s health. Mom is 76 years old and still works full time at a large bank. Her feet hit the floor by 5:30a.m. each day and she is at the office by 7:00a.m. The worse illness she has had in my lifetime is a head cold! Therefore, her overall health is excellent. But recently, I have noticed that she moves slowly- her walk, her hand movements. She has difficulty opening jars and picking-up things. Her hand even shakes a bit when eating (utensil to mouth). Could this be weakened muscle mass? Is it typical “getting old” symptoms? Could a multi-vitamin help strengthen her? I’ve suggested that she lift soup cans to keep her muscles moving and to keep her active, etc. She’s never exercised a lot so I tried to think of sensible suggestions for her. I would appreciate your advice. XXXX

Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (57 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Rule out Parkinson's disease.

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Generalized slowing, hand tremors on initiating activities are concerning for early stages of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder due to decreased dopamine in the brain.

Neurological examination and brain imaging study (CT scan) is needed at this point. If confirmed, management is with medications that increase dopamine levels in the brain.

Please be advised to follow up with her primary provider for detailed evaluation.

Hope this answers your question.

Regards,
Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal, General & Family Physician

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T