Hands go numb, tingle from trackpad

ElRojito wrote:

anyone complaining about the Apple external trackpad that uses the same components

A: almost nobody is using an external trackpad with a macbook

B: the angles and ergonomics on the external trackpad are totally different.

I'm going to suggest here that what you are experiencing is most likely related to repetitive stress - such as carpal tunnel syndrome. That can be from the position of your hands as you are using the device. Resting your hand on the device is actually the wrong thing to do (my sister in law is a physical therapist). Honestly it sounds like an ergonomics problem. I have personally had carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands and the numbness and tingling you describe are exactly what happens. Surgery fixed it for me.

While the Mac will tell you that a battery needs service or replacement, it has no way of knowing if the battery is swollen. It seems common sense to me to not use it if it is swollen. Would you use swollen batteries in anything else, even a flashlight?

For many months I have been experiencing the same symptoms discussed in this forumn. I never doubted that the tingling and numbness are real, and I fairly can rule out any suspition that these symptoms are the result of bad posture or any ergonomic flaws or improper hand positioning on the laptop . I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with the device itself, a Macboo Pro. I feel the tingling whenever i touch any surfuce area on the laptop and not only the trackpad. And I would feel the same sensation with my other hand whenever I touched another person's skin lightly while using the laptop. I have ignored these observations for a long time because they were not too serious. But gradually the numbness in my finger tips was lasting longer, for hours and sometimes days, and it has been causing great discomfort using my laptop recently to the point that I decided to goolgle this issue and got to learn that i'm not the only one and the problem with my laptop is not a rare defect. I have been scrolling through the discussion forum with difficulty, waltering between fingers joints and knuckles, and typed this reply in the most awkward of ways because I can't use my index finger properly.

I have also noticed that the numbsness in my index finger gets worse when I use my iphone too. There's obviously an issue with Apple's products and touch technology, the problem is much bigger that it first appears and must be addressed seriously. For now I'm thinking of shifting to a desktop computer to minimize the damage.

"I feel the tingling whenever i touch any surfuce area on the laptop and not only the trackpad."

When you plug your computer into the power adapter, be sure that the power adapter is plugged into a properly-grounded AC outlet, using the 3-prong AC power cable.

I bought a 13" MBPro in December and had to return it after two weeks because I developed first severe tingling in my hands/fingers then terrible pain in my wrists, especially the right (I'm right-handed). A month or so after I returned it (and lost money), the pain went away, despite the fact that I was still doing a tremendous amount of work on my old 15" MBPro, which is truly on its last legs.

Yesterday, I bought a new 15" MBPro, hoping the original problem was linked to a smaller case and less room for my wrists, but the problem came back IMMEDIATELY. I feel like an idiot, and while I'm tired of giving Apple all my money, I can't imagine switching to a PC (I've only had one once in the past 20 years and didn't like it).

This is not simply carpal tunnel, because that can't come and go away as quickly as this does - I can't in two weeks on a new computer go from being fine to not being able to lift a pan, back to fine when I'm off that particular computer, and in discomfort again within hours on a new computer, two months later.

So my question to those of you who understand this mysterious pain/sensation is: have you been able to return your Macs or get an answer from Apple?

Thank you.

I have the same situation. It is extremely exacerbated when the laptop is plugged in even though it's a properly grounded outlet. Even when I have it plugged into a surge suppressor that's supposed to clean up the signal. It is the same on both a 4 year old MackBook Air and a 3 month old MackBook Pro, with and without surge suppressors and plugged into any location, at different wrist angles, etc. Much less when it's not plugged in, though it still occurs if I'm typing or 'mousing' for more than an hour.
I am forced to work for a bit, then plug it in and let it recharge while my fingers regain some feeling, then go back. Each time in the day for less time. By night it's driving me crazy even if I've only used it unplugged. I think I will be trying a grounding mat under it. Not too easy though since I work from a lot of varied locations including on the bed.

I am having same issue on my mac. Numbness and tingly feeling after a 3-4hours of use. I ma now switching to external mouse and keyboard. Can some one respond to this issue!

is you power outlet is properly grounded?

Sure can Mm. Drama. Your keyboard is too high. It's recommended that your computer is on a flat, level, hard surface. If you insist on using your computer in another attitude, you're likely suffer some discomfort.

This solved it for me: try attaching your power supply brick to that long white extension cord that came with your MacBook instead of plugging the brick directly into the wall outlet. It has to be the extension that came with your MacBook, not just any extension cord. You'll need to first pop off the 2-prong connector that's on the brick and then pop on the white extension cord. I also notice the tingling finger problem goes away if I'm just running on battery.

Hope that helps someone.

Guys, this is clearly an EMF sensitivity issue. You need to find an old wired 'ball' mouse with a wired keyboard and stop using wifi, touch screens or laptops in close proximity.

I have this exact probem and it is really annoying...I've used PC's before and didn't have it with them...I noticed i have the same issue but not as much when I use my iPhone but over a much longer period of time. I think it has a lot to do with the fact both use a capacitance technology rather than a resistive and thus it works by storing an electric charge(which human skin is good at doing...and why a lot of other surfaces don't work...but you can try a stylus that you'd use for an iPad and it will work on your track pad). My prediction is later down the road people will realize this isn't as comfortable and perhaps not even good for humans in the longterm and somebody will have to innovate something...I thought of buying Apple's mouse but it uses the same technology I think so I'm just going to get a cheap optical mouse. Apple has really got to figure this out.

I have this exact problem as well. It started a few months ago, and is now a very annoying condition, much stronger now. I have a Mac-Book Pro (late 2013), an Apple mouse, and an Apple track pad, which is used extensively every single day. I am not trying to implicate Apple products in any way, I could have the same sensation with other devices, trackpads, wireless mouse, etc...I don't know, because I only use my computer/equipment, which happens to be all Apple products. This condition is now at the point that anytime I touch my wireless mouse, trackpad, or the trackpad on my laptop, I immediately get the "pens and needles sensation' that literally feels like my hand is sucking a very low electrical current right out of the device. This is very strange and the sensation is now occurring randomly throughout the day in my right hand and slightly up my right arm even when not using my computer. I can place my left hand on the mouse or either trackpad and nothing happens...no "pens and needles" sensation. And to be very clear this has nothing to do with any sort of restricted blood flow to my right arm or hand as has been suggested in other post, which is absolutely ridiculous. I think that anyone experiencing restricted blood flow where your arm or hand "goes to sleep" would quickly realize the cause and effect.

OH, well that couldn't be any more clear, since everyone knows exactly what EMF means. Thank you so much.

E-Smith wrote:

OH, well that couldn't be any more clear, since everyone knows exactly what EMF means. Thank you so much.

It's also nonsense. There is no such thing as "emf sensitivity".