Apple Watch causing wrist pain

Hi, I've seen some people complaing about wrist pain potentially caused by the Apple Watch. Bought mine about six weeks ago and started to feel a pain in my wrist- and hand joints on my left arm (NOT a rash or skin irritation). What are the possible causes/solutions? From a health perspective, this can't be good? If the Watch is causing the pain, Apple must have some solution even if it entails that I get a refund for the product? Again, if it is caused by the Watch, it is affecting my exercise program and it will be sad if I can't use the Watch for what I bought it for. Apple, any ideas / response? Please.

Posted on Mar 14, 2017 10:32 AM

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126 replies

May 14, 2018 8:34 PM in response to 33Scottie

Because 12 years ago the World Health Organization published a preliminary study regarding cell phone radiation (not WiFi or Bluetooth which are non-ionizing radiation) which looked into the relationship between it and brain cancer. They added a second preliminary study a few years later. The internet picked up on it and decided it meant that cell phones do cause cancer, it was then broadly spread around the world by a variety of sources. After that governments, starting with EU countries, decided they had to protect their citizens from all being brain cancer ravaged zombies (or sterile males, added in the second study) and decide to set a limit for radiation. So they had a committee meeting, pulled a number out of thin air and pretty much all the other major countries copied that limit. So Samsung, to alleviate the fears of their customers, came up with what you already discovered. Samsung didn't really care about the limit, nor did they know whether it was a problem or not, they just didn't want to lose customers particularly in Asia where there was more concern.


But after the WHO published their preliminary findings other research groups and scientists around the world tried to replicate their findings. The scientific method at work. And they could not replicate the issue and saw no link. So the WHO went back and looked again and they backed off their original findings. So we are left with a SAR value that has nothing scientific or medical behind it that no one can show in any way will result in any tissue damage to the brain or to a man's swimmers. But I will almost guarantee you neither the EU nor any other agency will change their SAR values.


Apple never did buy into all this and always is just a notch below the SAR.


It is a good thing to tell people to listen to their body but pain, cysts, rashes, burns, etc. on your body do not tell you what is causing it. And simple tests like turning off LTE on a Watch is a very poor diagnostic test. I asked you what your doctor said caused your cyst, you never answered. Also, the only time your Watch actually uses LTE is when you are not connected to your iPhone or a trusted WiFi network. How many hours does that happen daily for you. And it is a much lower exposure on the Watch than on your phone.

Jul 10, 2018 9:54 AM in response to halfadevil

I had a similar situation. I used mine without any issues for several years. Then all the sudden felt like I got shocked by my watch and have had arm pain that moves from my wrist to elbow to shoulder. Very painful. I let Apple know about this. In addition before I got shocked by my watch an alarm went off on my watch that sounded like a house alarm. I'm wondering if there was a software up date that has caused this since it is new to me after having owned it for a couple of years.

Jul 10, 2018 5:08 PM in response to Sandra Andina1

Sandra Andina1 wrote:


Well, it wasn't the watch--turns out my ulna was 4mm too long (congenital) and time + aging caused it to tear my TFCC (wrist cartilage). The soreness & clicking would have happened anyway. Recovering from surgery as I type this (one-handed--with my Apple Watch on my R wrist).


"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"--anonymous. Sometimes the cause of pain emanates from your body, not what you might be wearing on it. A prime example of why, when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you look for zebras.

(Insert additional cliche of choice here).

I hope your recovery goes well!


Thanks for letting us know your "solution".

Jul 10, 2018 5:13 PM in response to Sandra Andina1

Sandra Andina1 wrote:




"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"--anonymous.

Not really anonymous. Sigmund Freud.


Sometimes the cause of pain emanates from your body, not what you might be wearing on it. A prime example of why, when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses before you look for zebras.

(Insert additional cliche of choice here).

Thanks for your insight.

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Apple Watch causing wrist pain

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