Pain in fingers from new MBP keyboard?

I too have this problem with the new Macbook 12 inch keyboard. The limited key "travel" makes does not cushion the fingers the way the previous Mac keyboards do (which I loved.) It's now been almost a year and I'm sad to say this might have to be my last Mac if Apple doesn't find a way to make typing on this keyboard more comfortable.

this is happening to me as well.

while i know some of you are trying to be helpful, please stop responding to this issue with 'see a dr'. or 'ergonomics'! this has nothing to do with either.

im a computer programmer. im on a computer 50 hours a week. 3 days into my 2017 macbook pro the pad of my index finder is painful. if i switch back to a standard keyboard it doesnt hurt.

obviously when you have less travel in a keyboard its going absorb less shock. and that shock is going to go into your finger instead. its physics.

try typing on a table as if it were your keyboard. your fingers will all start hurting. this is just slightly more comfortable than typing on a table surface.

I have the same problem though I think it is due to the Force trackpad, not the keyboard. I have been a MacBook Pro user for the last 10 years and this is the first time I'm experiencing this problem. I get debilitating joint pain in my upper phalanges. Started using a wireless mouse which gets rid of the problem. But it practically means that I can't use my MacBook Pro without an external mouse. :-(

The Force trackpad is certainly an interesting piece of technology but Apple should test it more for usability and ergonomics issues.

Yes! I am a developer and I have experienced the same thing. I just typed my symptoms in the search engine and I am relieved to find that I am not the only one! It's terrible!!! I spend 10 to 12 hours on the computer everyday and now I am completely dreading it. Ugh! Horrible. I got a wrist wrest and a palm rest to ensure that I am typing effectively.. Truly, I have done all that I can to help myself in this matter. I try to type ever so lightly and the action is great. But, the pain is increasing and is terrible. I hate it.

Good for you to take steps to eliminate your pain and take care of yourself!

Employers who dictate what keyboards their employees use and do not allow substitutions open themselves to lawsuits for repetitive strain injury and lost work time to their employees. This is not a trivial risk.

(an external keyboard can be had for under US$100)

We have given feedback to Apple, hopefully they listen ... I work in an industry that we have found if you don't listen to your customers, you are history ...

They do, but not on the forums. You need to leaves your suggestions here:

Product Feedback - Apple

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Thanks. I have heard about the problem with the keyboards too.

I don't do too much typing and my problem is more with the trackpad and the metallic part of the MacBook generally.

I noticed when I took my plastic cover off my iPhone, I had the same problem with that. It seems some people are very sensitive to the current coming off the devices. I have found another post where lots of people are having problems.

How can I stop trackpad from hurting/burning my fingertips?

Also, I read that using a plug that is not earthed properly can exacerbate the problem.

I think I need to get a plastic cover and a glove 🙂

Well Grant, I don't know much about physics but I know that there are an awful lot of people affected by this. There are hundreds of posts online about it and there is clearly a problem.

Another interesting post on the Apple boards indicating how widespread this problem is.Hands go numb, tingle from trackpad

Hopefully, Apple are not in denial, or hiding something and come up with a solution soon.

jmgrace wrote:

I too have this problem with the new Macbook 12 inch keyboard. The limited key "travel" makes does not cushion the fingers the way the previous Mac keyboards do (which I loved.) It's now been almost a year and I'm sad to say this might have to be my last Mac if Apple doesn't find a way to make typing on this keyboard more comfortable.

If you are having the same symptoms as the original poster to this thread you should see a doctor. Also follow the advice already provided about reading the manual and ergonomics. If you just don't like the design of the keyboard, get another keyboard or computer that meets your design requirements.

adamsrobw wrote:

obviously when you have less travel in a keyboard its going absorb less shock. and that shock is going to go into your finger instead. its physics.

That would also fall under ergonomics. For most people that difference shouldn't cause pain. If it does, that could very well be an indicator of something more serious. That's why people recommend seeing a doctor.

I let an overuse injury go for about a year, until I could hardly walk. The fact that I knew what caused it didn't make it go away.

I am. having the exact same issue, I have used Macbooks for over 15 years, and as soon as I go to my older MacBook with the normal keyboard that pain decreases or does not increase. Currently I'm living with that pain in my finger joints, and it did start also Around after the first month I started using the 2017 MacBook Pro. my doctor also agrees with me on this, and he has advised me not to use the keyboard. most likely, I will be moving to Lenovo or another similar brand after being an apple supporter for so long or worse this issue because it has caused me to fall behind in my work. For me, The pain is in the bigger joints of my fingers the ones that are closer to my wrist not the ones towards my nails.

{rez} wrote:

I am. having the exact same issue, I have used Macbooks for over 15 years, and as soon as I go to my older MacBook with the normal keyboard that pain decreases or does not increase. Currently I'm living with that pain in my finger joints, and it did start also Around after the first month I started using the 2017 MacBook Pro. my doctor also agrees with me on this, and he has advised me not to use the keyboard. most likely, I will be moving to Lenovo or another similar brand after being an apple supporter for so long or worse this issue because it has caused me to fall behind in my work. For me, The pain is in the bigger joints of my fingers the ones that are closer to my wrist not the ones towards my nails.

Good, you are following your doctor's advice. Others in this thread suffering pain should also see their doctor. Good luck with your new computer. Make sure you test the keyboard on the new computer before making the purchase.

I have the same problem, and do not know how to reduce the pain other than using the computer less, or switching to an external mouse / keyboard. Personally, I used a 2008 model Macbook with no discomfort or pain whatsoever until I replaced it with the new Touch Bar model late last year. At first there was no pain, but it gradually increased despite there being no change to how I used the machine. I now have a dull pain in my fingertips on both hands when typing or using the trackpad, especially the index and middle fingers. Recently I have found that using a mouse helps, so I believe it's a combination of the new keyboard, new force trackpad, and possibly even new iPhone home button.

My theory is that the cause of the pain stems from these new pieces of hardware no longer offering a real physical response anymore. Although it feels to be a tacit interaction, the strain of interacting with surfaces that have no 'give' gradually builds up and causes strain over time. Unsure what to do, but hope Apple is looking at improving the comfort of the current butterfly keyboard.

It could be a coincidence, but as a long term Apple laptop power typist who up until recently never had issues with repetitive strain, I am experiencing many of the symptoms outlined in this thread since purchasing my new TouchBar MacBook Pro laptop. To be fully up front about it, I was totally fine during the first five-six weeks typing on my new MacBook Pro, and really loved the keyboard in terms of performance and efficiency.

I suspect that the problems I am now having now with “tingling”, slightly numb fingers and sensations of tendon/muscle weakness in my forearms are directly attributable to using the new low profile, high force, no “give” keyboard on my new MacBook Pro. The symptoms came on gradually, but I wonder if the cumulative amount of additional tension and “force reverberation” traveling through my fingers up into my arms is direct result of using this new keyboard over the past month or two?

I have now switched back to an older style “low force, high “give” keyboard plugged into my MacBook Pro. While this new (old) keyboard seems paradoxically to involve more finger muscle force to push the keys, it will be interesting to see over the next few weeks if my condition improves by limiting the degree of keystroke by keystroke “pounding” through my upper extremities.

It would be great if some ergonomic/occupational health expert could design a comparative study (new apple laptop keyboard vs. old school “clunky key” keyboard) that measures the impact forces on the fingers/hands/arms.

The MacBook Pro is optimized to be a lightweight, portable notebook computer that runs on batteries. It was never intended for all day typing.

Do not continue to work through pain in you hands, wrists, or arms.

Every current Mac can accept a different USB keyboard (possibly requiring an adapter) that has more travel in the keys, can be placed differently for better wrist angle, and can accommodate different typing heights and different typing positions.

Every current Mac can be used with dictation, if you can provide an environment free of background noise.

I appreciate the suggestions provided to help mitigate my symptoms. There are several workarounds that I can utilize to alleviate the discomfort I’m experiencing (the USB connected “old school” keyboard is working out pretty well so far… time will tell).

Leaving my physical symptoms aside, the primary reason I posted here was to add my voice and experience to the thread in hopes of raising awareness of the potential drawbacks of Apple’s current laptop keyboard design. I use the word “potential” fully acknowledging that I have no proof at this point in time that my symptoms are directly linked to using the new keyboard or not. It is a hypothesis of mine (and some of the others who have posted here), one that I feel would be of interest for Apple engineers to investigate further. With their stated aim towards continually improving design for future iterations, Apple may well have been caught “off guard” in this instance, not realizing that their focus on typing efficiency and reduced cover “latch” clearance, might lead to unintended ramifications leading to repetitive strain? By studying the phenomenon further and establishing quantifiable metrics that would prove or disprove our hypothesis, Apple would then have the data it needs to work on a redesign, or disregard the issue entirely.