Hand or arm tremor may seem unrelated to your abdominal and back muscles, but improving control of your torso may help steady your limbs.

How you’re positioned while sitting may also affect tremor. A chair that doesn’t fit your body well can make your muscles work harder to keep you balanced. Using seating that properly supports your torso may decrease muscle tension and make tremor easier to control.

If balance problems are part of your MS, a physical therapist can also help you find safe ways to work on strength, posture, and stability. Ask your neurologist for a physical therapy referral.

Sometimes, relatively simple adjustments make a difference. For example, a larger keyboard or voice-controlled technology may make computer use easier when tremor affects your hands.

An occupational therapist (OT) can help you find easier ways to handle activities affected by tremor, such as eating, getting dressed, writing, or using a computer.

Occupational therapy can also help you change how you approach movement. You might practice thinking through a motion before starting it, focusing on one action at a time, or scheduling breaks between demanding activities.

If you’ve already developed strategies, such as supporting one arm with the other or resting your elbows on a table while eating, an OT can evaluate whether they’re effective and comfortable for long-term use.

For some people, using lightly weighted assistive devices can temporarily make shaky movements easier to control. For example, weighted wristbands, eating utensils, or pens may help dampen tremor while you’re using them.

However, heavier items require more effort to move. That means weighted tools may worsen fatigue, an already common MS symptom.

It may take experimentation to find the right adaptive devices. An OT can help you determine whether weighted equipment is useful for you and which type will be most effective.

Many people with MS notice that heat aggravates their symptoms. Researchers have also investigated whether temporarily cooling an arm affected by tremor might have the opposite effect.

In a small study of people with MS-related intention tremor, cooling the forearm for 15 minutes reduced tremor. Improvements lasted at least 30 minutes after cooling.

Cooling strategies might include a cooling garment such as a neck wrap, bandana, hat, or wristband to help you stay cool before an activity.

Compression garments and supportive splints may provide another way to improve control of an arm, hand, leg, or other area affected by tremor.

A Lycra splint or elastic support bandage may provide added stability and help control unwanted movement. Depending on the affected area, these devices may take the form of a fitted sleeve, glove, sock, or leggings.

If you’re considering a Lycra splint, work with a therapist to make sure it fits properly. You may need a referral to an orthotist, a specialist who fits braces and other supportive devices. If you use an elastic bandage, make sure it isn’t too tight, which can affect circulation.

What you drink may influence how much you notice your tremor. Caffeine is one of several factors that can intensify tremor for some people with MS.

If you think caffeine may make your tremor worse, try keeping track of when you consume coffee, tea, energy drinks, or other sources of caffeine and whether your tremor changes afterward. Keeping a tremor diary can help identify this association and other factors that could affect your tremor.

Alcohol is more complicated. Although alcohol can temporarily reduce certain types of tremor, MS-related tremor generally doesn’t respond in the same way.

Drinking too much alcohol may instead increase shaking and raise the risk of falling. Alcohol can also aggravate other problems that some people with MS experience, including difficulties with balance, bladder or bowel function, sleep, and mood.

If you drink alcohol, pay attention to how it affects your symptoms and discuss any concerns with your healthcare provider.

Read more about how alcohol affects MS.