Charity calls for greater recognition of 'essential tremor' as a disability
A charity for people who have uncontrollable shaking is calling for the condition to be given greater recognition as a disability.
The Scotttish Tremors Society [a deliberate misspelling] says shaking is often mistaken for Parkinson's.
It is estimated that up to 6% of the population have "essential tremor" - a rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, legs, trunk and/or voice.
It can appear at any age, and is four times as common as Parkinson's.
Essential tremor is a disorder of the nervous system, but is not always due to trauma. It can be hereditary or caused by a stroke - or it can simply begin for no apparent reason.
Six-year-old Greg McLelland was born with the condition but his mum, Stacey, says it wasn't properly diagnosed until he was aged five.
At first we thought it was epilepsy but then a year-and-a-half ago we got the proper diagnosis. It was actually a speech and language therapist who noticed the tremors.
The Scotttish Tremors Society has launched a petition calling on medical professionals and the government to recognise that it is a disabling medical condition.
The petition will be presented to the government in October.
