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Anyone have this watch issue (regarding wearing it)?

ssledoux

ssledoux

macrumors 601
Original poster
Sep 16, 2006
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Down south
Does anyone have an issue with nerve pain at all from wearing the watch? I don't wear mine really tightly, but after wearing it a while, I feel like there's almost a pain/numbness that shoots up my arm from the nerve it presses on.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this, and, if so, what did you do about it?
 
Julien said:
Sound like you need to visit a neurologist to have it checked out.
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Well I don't have the problem when I'm not wearing the watch; only after I've had it on a while with the thing pressing into my arm. My other watch doesn't do this because I don't have to wear it as tightly.
 
ssledoux said:
Well I don't have the problem when I'm not wearing the watch; only after I've had it on a while with the thing pressing into my arm. My other watch doesn't do this because I don't have to wear it as tightly.
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I have known people who could not wear a watch as it caused pain somewhat like you describe. Not much you can do about it and doubt a visit to the doctor will help. Try again and see how it goes but I would consider paint as a warning and maybe wearing a watch is not for you. Try loosening it up. Mine is so loose it will slide over my wrist bone at times.
 
I don't think it's too tight. I can definitely move it around a bit. I'm fairly thin though, and the protruding part with all the sensors definitely goes right in a little groove between my bones in my forearm (which I'm assuming it needs to in order to get your heart rate and stuff) where I'm sure there is an artery or a nerve. It's not really digging in right there because I don't have it really tight or anything, but I think it just puts enough pressure that after a while it messes with that nerve.

I am not really expecting anyone to have an answer for why it's happening; just wondered if it had ever happened to anyone else.

FWIW I keep it in the 3rd hole from the end on a small band. I could easily put it on the 4th hole, but I feel that would be too tight. In the second hole, it's loose like a bracelet.
 
It's difficult to tell whether it's just your arm getting used to it or it's indicative of an underlying medical condition.

The alternative is to skip health/fitness monitoring and wear it like a bracelet (like you do with your other watches). Not everyone, including myself, uses the AW for monitoring.
 
Do you experience the same problem when you wear it on the other wrist? I would try that for a while. If you don't have any problems with the other wrist you could either get used to wearing your watch on that wrist or you could go back to your preferred wrist to see if it just needed a break.

What band do you have? A different style of band might help, or simply loosening it up a bit. The issue you are having could also be caused by something else (repetitive use injury perhaps) but the watch just exacerbates it. Does it seem to be an issue whether you wear the watch on a work day or on a weekend day? If you can connect the discomfort to any kind of repetitive activity you might consider how you could change up that routine.

If you really decide that it is the back of the watch causing the problem, and there is no way to adjust it so it doesn't cause the problem, you might even see if you can exchange whatever size Apple Watch case you have now for the other size.
 
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ssledoux said:
Well I don't have the problem when I'm not wearing the watch; only after I've had it on a while with the thing pressing into my arm. My other watch doesn't do this because I don't have to wear it as tightly.
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I would assume it is relating to either 1) Tightness or 2) The heart rate monitor or another sensor (on the bottom side) that is causing some sort of issue with your body. I would look into those two things, but unfortunately I don't have any further advice to provide.

I'm inclined to say the doctor won't know ****, but that's just me.
 
I had something similar happen to me. I normally wear the watch in my left wrist but because of sun + tanning I've been changing it between left and right wrist during the summer. When I started wearing it in my right wrist my right arm started hurting after a while. The pain stopped almost immediately after removing the watch. Massaging the arm solved it for me. I just moved my fingers, gently pressing, along the arm from wrist to elbow and back few times. After couple days of massaging the arm a few times per day the pain went away and I have been able to wear the watch in my right wrist without any pain.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe I'll try switching it, although I have never worn a watch on my right arm so it's gonna be REAL weird! ;-p

I'll also try the massage thing. I haven't had the watch but a few weeks, so maybe it's just taking some adjusting.
 
ssledoux said:
Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe I'll try switching it, although I have never worn a watch on my right arm so it's gonna be REAL weird! ;-p

I'll also try the massage thing. I haven't had the watch but a few weeks, so maybe it's just taking some adjusting.
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Bodies are weird. Can't wait until we're all machines
 
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VanillaCracker said:
Bodies are weird. Can't wait until we're all machines
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ssledoux said:
Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe I'll try switching it, although I have never worn a watch on my right arm so it's gonna be REAL weird! ;-p

I'll also try the massage thing. I haven't had the watch but a few weeks, so maybe it's just taking some adjusting.
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Yes... it's kind of difficult for me to use the watch when it's on my right wrist. I'm just used to glancing at the left wrist. Fortunately there are settings that allow you to orient the watch so the side button and crown are towards the hand or away from it. Just go into settings and choose the wrist and then choose what side the buttons should be on. Still, that won't help when you find yourself looking left instead of right :p

It's all a matter of getting used to it I suppose. I sometimes switch which side of the keyboard my mouse goes on because of a history of repetitive use injury. It took me a little time to even be able to function mousing with the left hand, but now I can easily switch between the two.

Good luck!
 
ssledoux said:
Does anyone have an issue with nerve pain at all from wearing the watch? I don't wear mine really tightly, but after wearing it a while, I feel like there's almost a pain/numbness that shoots up my arm from the nerve it presses on.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this, and, if so, what did you do about it?
Click to expand...
Try wearing on other wrist and see if pain still exists?
 
ssledoux said:
I don't think it's too tight. I can definitely move it around a bit. I'm fairly thin though, and the protruding part with all the sensors definitely goes right in a little groove between my bones in my forearm (which I'm assuming it needs to in order to get your heart rate and stuff) where I'm sure there is an artery or a nerve. It's not really digging in right there because I don't have it really tight or anything, but I think it just puts enough pressure that after a while it messes with that nerve.

I am not really expecting anyone to have an answer for why it's happening; just wondered if it had ever happened to anyone else.

FWIW I keep it in the 3rd hole from the end on a small band. I could easily put it on the 4th hole, but I feel that would be too tight. In the second hole, it's loose like a bracelet.
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I agree I had the same issue I have no health issues I am only 28 and very fit.. when wearing the watch I get a weird feeling in my hands, took it off and it went a lot of deluded people start saying go doctor because they do not want to accept that it maybe an issue
 
I had it a few times off and on over three years. Last month it was so bad that I didn't wear my watch for a week. I haven't had the pain since but I'm also wearing it just slightly looser then I used to.


This is an old thread.
 
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Why not try a different band?

I exclusively wear sports loops, because I have joint and nerve pain due to autoimmune diseases. The sports loops are really forgiving, and the easiest on my wrists.

If you’re wearing a band that has holes, it’s not as flexible as the loop, and you might find a happier medium than the third hole.
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Killbynumbers said:
This is an old thread.
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Oh, geez. I didn’t notice.

Well, maybe the advice will help someone.
 
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