Apple Watch causing wrist pain

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately, I bought the Apple Watch 3 42mm on Friday Jan. 19, 2018. I wore it for one day and then a very strange pain appeared in my hand and fingers as if I had punched a wall with my wrist. I wondered directly if the watch was the cause. The next day I tried to wear the watch on the other wrist, and by the end of the day the same pain had started.

I obviously searched online before changing wrist on how to wear the watch correctly and made sure that I tried every possibilities to wear the watch in a way that does not hurt me. However, it did not help, and I realised that many people had the same issue.

On my side, I think the problem is the curvature of the back of the watch which creates a single point of contact with the skin/wrist. This point is a high pressure point as it is the tangent of this curve and of very small area. In my opinion, it is a flawed design. There is no good reason for pushing a "needle" in someone skin... a watch should not have singular pressure point...

The problem is that the Apple shop I bought the watch from in Luxembourg City does not want take the watch back and reimburse me, with even no way to negotiate anything. I find it very appalling.

Would anyone of you have a contact detail of someone at Apple who could do something about it?

In a nutshell, I discourage anyone who intend to buy the Apple Watch to buy it. In order to convince yourself, just check the back of this watch and you will notice this pressure point which cannot do any good (compare to a normal watch). Do not forget that you wear your watch all day long and sometimes you would even wear it during the night. This design is not ergonomic and cannot fit our body.

GillesFK wrote:

On my side, I think the problem is the curvature of the back of the watch which creates a single point of contact with the skin/wrist. This point is a high pressure point as it is the tangent of this curve and of very small area. In my opinion, it is a flawed design. There is no good reason for pushing a "needle" in someone skin... a watch should not have singular pressure point...

Some doctors have speculated that, for some people, the convex back of the watch may cause a problem. But, it seems to be a very small number of people. There is no way that Apple will make a product that is perfect for everyone.

If your watch is in good condition, I'm sure that you can sell if for a pretty good price.

Thank you for your message but it does not really help. I guess it is an automatic reply.

I still believe that the watch is not designed having most people in mind as the message seems to allude to, as the watch is not ergonomic.

The Apple Watch is the type of device that someone needs to try for a certain number of hours to see if it can bear it or not. In that case, I find it unfortunate that Apple does not want to take my watch back as I could not have determined if I could bear it or not at the time I bought it.

GillesFK wrote:

As it seems that you are extensively on this forum, would you have by any chance a contact detail of someone at Apple that I could contact? That would be helpful. Thanks a lot.

Use the Contact Support link at the top right of every page. Or, make an appointment at your local Apple Store. We are users, just like you. We don't have a special hotline to people at Apple.

Thanks a lot for this. However, I already tried that. It is a dead end. I would need to contact someone directly. I understand that you are users but hoped that Apple employees would moderate this forum. I will figure it out.

GillesFK wrote:

Thanks a lot for this. However, I already tried that. It is a dead end. I would need to contact someone directly. I understand that you are users but hoped that Apple employees would moderate this forum.

The Hosts major function is to keep order and make sure people adhere to the terms of use. Community Specialists, also Apple employees, answer questions that have gone unanswered and can be answered with a link to a support article.

Thanks for your post. I am having a similar problem. Pain on my forearm and wrist. I am switching arm as a test and also thinking of trying a different watch band. Currently using and what the Nike watch band which I don’t like very much

It’s definitely the 3. I have had the 1,2 and now the 3 and this is the first to do it. I have moved to the othe wrist and the pain moves with it. And loosing it doesn’t help. It must be the cellular doing it. ***** to pay $450 and have the pain. Should of stuck with the 2. Just glad I’m not the only one with the pain.

My 1 has started doing it for the last few months and turning off the health monitoring reduces it, but i still have to change wrists and the pain moves with the watch, it appears to be caused by the monitoring!

Sent from my iPhone

I don't have a solution for your problem, but I too have been experiencing wrist pain associated with the arm that I wear my Apple watch on. I have a Series 1 watch that gave me no wrist issues for nearly a year, but within the past month or so, I have been experiencing wrist pain and arthritic type symptoms. It was only recently when my 24 year old son started having wrist pain due to wearing his Apple watch that I realized that my wrist pain was related to wearing my Apple Watch. Is it possible that an update to the watch may be responsible for these issues? Both my son and I had worn our watches pain free without any issues for a long time. The wrist pain is relatively recent and we both started experiencing problems around the same time frame. Yes, it may coincidence, but it is something to consider.

I've had an Apple watch from the very beginning, an original. And I purchased a new Series 3 when they came out. Trust me, I experience no pain, discomfort, rash, anything. And there certainly is no problem with sensors, or the light used causing anything for me. I'm sorry, but an LED light will not cause pain in your wrist.

halfadevil wrote:

Wait till you get it and then do some experiments of your own, until then you will need to trust the many people who are getting it that it is not from the band being tight.

I've had an Apple watch since the day they were released. I'm not suggesting that the band being too tight is the problem for everyone. For most people who are experiencing pain, the culprit is probably the convex back. Some people are more sensitive to that pressing against their wrist. It could be do to a normal variation in anatomy. Or, it could be do to something like carpal tunnel syndrome. Only a doctor could say for sure.

halfadevil wrote:

Lucky you, as you do not get the pain then do not make judgment on what causes it hey!

I don't have to have experienced a broken leg to know why it's painful. No one is suggesting that you are not in pain. I believe you and I'm sorry that you are. However, jumping to conclusions as to the cause, especially ones which lack any scientific underpinning, may delay or prevent you getting the real help you need.

halfadevil wrote:

That's is funny, as science is opening your mind to all the possibilities, but you are welcome to believe what you want.

No, science is observing, coming up with a hypothesis and testing it. A scientific hypothesis isn't just someone saying, "let's see if blowing on dandelion and scattering the seeds cures cancer". There has to be a plausible mechanism. The hypothesis has to be able to reliably predict the outcome. And, based on the known laws of physics and chemistry, some things are highly unlikely. For example, an old folk remedy for back pain: Lie down (presumably outside) and when you hear the call of a whip-poor-will, roll over three times, is implausible. There's no possible mechanism by which listening to a whip-poor-will could cure back pain.

heidifromyigo wrote:

Where did you get a plastic bumper? I am sensitive to metals in my ears and think the watch may be a metals sensitivity.

This is just one of the many available on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Silicone Alley, Apple Watch [38mm] Bumper Case [Series 2] / Perfect Match & Fit for Bands [Set of 5] (Band N…