What causes somatic tremors?

Somatic tremors are primarily caused by muscle movement, particularly involuntary muscle contractions. When a patient moves or tenses their muscles during a procedure such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) or other monitoring processes, these movements can create unwanted noise on the recording. This is often observed as jagged lines or spikes on the resulting graph, indicating that muscle activity has interfered with the signal being monitored.

In contrast, electrical interference typically stems from external devices or equipment in the environment, while nervous system disorders can influence muscle control but do not directly lead to tremors from voluntary muscle actions. Feedback loops represent a system of cause and effect and may occur in various contexts but are not directly related to the production of somatic tremors. Describing somatic tremors this way emphasizes the importance of minimizing patient movement during sensitive procedures to ensure accurate readings.