Why do you think my hand hurts after using my iphone?

This is most likely carpal tunnel syndrome. I’m guessing you text a lot. Using just a couple of fingers. Your body responds to this repetitive stress on the nerve that passes through your wrist can cause it. This is common in people who text a lot. Nothing to do with what type of phone unless the size of the phone might be making your repetitive motions more extreme. The only way to stop it is to stop the motion. Change up ur grip. Or use talk to text.

when it gets severe in people who play piano or type for a living, there is a surgery. But better to change your behavior now. I’m guessing this has been brewing a while even w your old phone but it’s just now giving symptoms.

I'm not a medical professional, but I can provide some general information about the symptoms you're describing. Experiencing hand pain, numbness, and tingling while using a device like an iPhone could potentially be related to a condition known as "smartphone hand" or "texting thumb," which falls under the broader category of repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) or overuse injuries. It's important to consult a medical professional, such as a neurologist, to get an accurate diagnosis and proper guidance based on your specific situation.

Here's a bit more information that might be helpful:

1. Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs): RSIs are injuries that result from repetitive motions and overuse of certain body parts, often seen in people who perform repetitive tasks for extended periods. Using devices like smartphones frequently and for long periods can lead to symptoms such as pain, numbness, and tingling.
2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: One common neurological condition associated with hand pain, numbness, and tingling is carpal tunnel syndrome. It occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes compressed at the wrist. This can be exacerbated by prolonged use of devices with repetitive finger movements.
3. Ulnar Neuropathy: Ulnar neuropathy is another neurological condition that can cause symptoms in the hand, including numbness and tingling. It's caused by pressure or irritation of the ulnar nerve, which runs along the inner side of the elbow and down to the hand.
4. Seeking Medical Attention: It's crucial to consult a medical professional, such as a neurologist, to accurately diagnose your condition and recommend appropriate treatment. They might suggest physical therapy, changes in device usage habits, ergonomic adjustments, or even recommend medications or other interventions depending on the severity and underlying cause of your symptoms.
5. Prevention and Management: To help alleviate or prevent these symptoms, you might consider taking breaks while using your iPhone, practicing ergonomic hand and wrist positions, and incorporating hand stretches and exercises into your routine. It's also essential to maintain a healthy overall lifestyle, including regular exercise and proper nutrition.

Remember, only a medical professional can provide accurate advice and treatment options based on your specific condition. If you're experiencing hand pain, numbness, and tingling while using your iPhone or performing other activities, it's strongly recommended to consult a neurologist or other relevant medical specialist for a thorough evaluation and guidance.

Last summer of '23 I upgraded from an Iphone 7 to an Iphone 14 Pro Max. The last few months the lower joints on my thumbs have been killing me. My self-diagnosis is that the pain is caused by the new phone being so much heavier than the old one, and the fact that my hands are fairly small. Plus I'm an old lady in my early 70s! I just purchased a PopSocket so I'll no longer have to put so much stress on my hands just to check texts, email, news alerts, etc. etc. I shall report back to this site as to whether this made any difference.

trey1802 wrote:

oh my gosh me too! Something is going on with the phone!

No, something is going on with your hand. Go see your doctor.

i wish they made phone cases (or phones) that didn’t hurt to use. The flat slate design is so unergonomic.

the person that is experiencing the 5G pain is really misinformed though. People have been complaining about carpal tunnel and trigger finger for more than a decade due to smart phones

It could be the MagSafe magnets. They are very strong. No other iPhones before the 12 series and android phones use MagSafe magnets. If you tried holding an iPhone 11 series (11, pro, pro max) or older the same way and do not experience any pain in your hands, muscles or deep in your bones, then it could be the MagSafe magnets.

Been experimenting with different things on the iphone 13, none have been super effective so i am thinking i will probably return the device and get a refurbished XR replacement. May try the 12 and/or SE to see if any better luck, but not positive on this.

Have tried

* Putting the device in airplane mode - seemed to help nerve pain maybe 50% most of the time (although still had nerve issues even in airplane mode last night). Not a good long term solution since the phone needs to be able to use data when away from home, and easy to forget to turn airplane mode off when leaving home

• When out, turning off wifi / bluetooth and leaving only cellular on - sometimes helped 50% but not always
• Also tried turning cellular data off - seemed to help, but essentially ruins its usage as a phone so no point in doing this long term
• Tried buying an EMF blocking 'case' from Walmart (actually it is just a board the size of the phone) and putting it between the phone and my hand. Mixed results. Seemed like the part of my hand touching the EMF case didn't hurt as much, but the sides of my hand close to the phone were still heavily irritated/burning.

thetexasb_tch wrote:

I also have this problem with my wrists and hands hurting, aching, and tingling shortly after using my iphone 13 pro. It feels like my watch is suddenly too tight. Is anyone also experiencing this with their MacBook Air? I can't type on it anymore without having pain almost immediately. I thought it could be carpal tunnel but this forum makes me wonder, since I can type on my Dell laptop for long periods without pain.

You should discuss the matter with a qualified doctor. Diagnoses from random people on the internet are rarely reliable.

Hello.

The previous response seems very ChatGPT generated...but that's not the point. How are you holding the device? What was your previous iPhone? Was it smaller? I'm not entirely sure it has something to do with the phone or your hand. Go ahead with disabling 5G but I am not confident that will make a difference.

Try holding your phone in different positions or with different hands, but if you are truly a medical professional feel free to disregard my advice.

Merry Christmas,

mdp1101

I highly doubt that 5G is the cause of your hands hurting. I have an iPhone that uses the 5G network and my hands only hurt after many hours of gaming. It is far more likely that this pain is due to the holding of the device for so long, as another commenter said. Also, if you upgraded to a larger phone, it could be your hands adjusting to the larger size.

It's not your phone. Go see your doctor.

I suggest you take this concern to your medical health profession, if your trying to persecute apple for something that’s none existent, I suggest you don’t take this course of action, iPhones do not cause hand problems, just like any other mobile devices

I have had this issue off and on for years where i not only get burning pain in my hands after touching my iphone or computer, but it spreads through my body and leads to pain and electric shock sensations throughout the body. i have no idea why it spreads. Also sometimes it affects motor coordination as well.

I got an iphone 13 recently and had burning and swollen sensation / had trouble controlling my wrists within minutes. I had this problem to some extent with my old iphone XR but it is worse with the 13.

On my XR, i used a thick case and two layers of touchscreen covers which helped some. Unfortunately on the 13 even with a case over it, the sensation is still really bad.

I tried putting a few slices of aluminum foil between my phone and the case, it helped 'some' ... although still having problems especially in the areas my hand touches the phone where the foil is not covering (like on the sides and near the camera).

Now i'm debating whether to just return the phone (although would have to get a different kind of phone; my old XR was destroyed by a few seconds of water exposure) or try some EMF-protective covers to see if any of those will help.

i just bought a 13 and the tingling/burning is worse than it was with the XR for me. i tried putting some aluminum foil on the back of the phone in between the phone and the case. it helped some, but still hurting and hurts worse on areas of my hand in areas where the foil is not covering the phone.