Mechanism of action
The VILIM ball works by sending slow‑paced pulses through the hand you are holding it with. These pulses stimulate the small muscles and tendons and make the limb less willing to “echo” its own tremor. At the same time, the vibration overwhelms the sensory nerves that normally report signals of touch, joint position and movement. This stream of information is converted into electrical signals and floods the spinal cord and brainstem. Signals compete with, and partly blocks, the erratic signals that drive essential tremor.
Laboratory work with the VILIM ball and similar devices has confirmed that this “sensory‑gating” effect can quiet tremor‑related activity all the way up to the thalamus, the relay hub that controls outgoing movement commands.
Regular short sessions can therefore give reliable, on‑demand relief without drugs or surgery, while staying well below the vibration levels linked to hand‑arm injury in occupational settings.
Real-world evidence
A voluntary survey is regularly sent to customers who have used the device for at least two weeks to gather real-world data on its effectiveness. Latest analysis contained responses from 143 users. Most had Essential Tremor (ET); 16% had Parkinson’s (PD), and 2.8% had other conditions. Overall, 70.4% reported improvement—74.4% in PD, 69.2% in ET. On average, effects were noticed for 74 minutes (±15 min).
Evidence for Essential tremor
At least two clinical studies show the VILIM ball can meaningfully reduce hand tremors.
Study 1
- 32 people with Essential Tremor used the VILIM ball on their dominant hand.
- Tremor strength dropped by about 60 % on average (13 of 32 improved).
A follow‑up test with a fake (sham) device produced no improvement, confirming the VILIM ball’s real effect.
Study 2
- 50 people (30 with Essential Tremor, 20 with Parkinsonian Tremor), average age ≈ 67.
- They used the device for roughly 7.6 months.
- 46 (92 %) reported better control, with relief lasting about 90 minutes each session; 4 felt no benefit.
- Four others quit during an initial 2‑week trial when they saw no change.
- No side effects were reported.
Bottom line: The VILIM ball appears safe and effective for short‑term relief of hand tremors, and further research is under way to refine its performance.
Link to the clinical study: Local Vibrational Therapy for Essential Tremor Reduction: A Clinical Study
Emerging evidence for Parkinson’s disease
Although the VILIM Ball is created for Essential Tremor, many people with Parkinson’s tremor also try it because other options don’t always work for them.
Early results look promising:
- Small study #2: 18 out of 20 Parkinson’s patients felt less tremor after using the VILIM ball.
- Ongoing study (Dr. Dieter Volc): So far, 19 of 25 participants with Parkinson’s tremor have shown improvement. Full results are coming soon.
These encouraging signs are why we’re running more research to see how well the VILIM ball can help Parkinson’s tremor.
Link to the clinical study: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3233/TAD-230032
Other related studies
Other related studies
Many other studies explored how mechanical vibration stimulation effects the hand tremor symptoms:
- ULTRE study (2025) – A double‑blind, sham‑controlled crossover trial of 47 people with Essential Tremor showed that a wrist‑worn vibrating device produced clear, statistically significant tremor relief and was well‑tolerated.
- Haas (2006) – Targeted hand vibration cut tremor severity in Parkinson’s disease by 25 % and stiffness by 24 %.
- King et al. (2009) – Short sessions of vibration therapy significantly reduced both rigidity and tremor, supporting vibration as a drug‑free option.
- Edmonston (2016) – Combining whole‑body vibration with light exercise yielded short‑term gains in posture, motor control and daily‑activity performance.
- Heiko (2009) – Whole‑body vibration lowered hand tremor and stiffness and improved gait measures such as step length and walking speed.
Together, these findings reinforce mechanical vibration as a promising non‑pharmacological approach for reducing tremors, stiffness and related movement problems.