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Apple Watch Causing Nerve Pain from EMF Radiation

I've been experiencing nerve pain in both my wrists and forearms from wearing my Apple Watch. I’ve tried switching wrists, but the pain occurs on both sides after time. It's a tingling numbing dull ache and it gets worse when the watch is taking a reading. The pain goes away a few hours after taking the watch off so I know it's the cause. And no, the watch isn’t too tight.


After some digging, I found a lot of people online reporting similar issues, with some mentioning EMF radiation as a cause. This has been talked about for years, but nothing has been done about it nor has Apple ever addressed it (not surprising). I'm curious how widespread this issue is and what the long term effects are? Has anyone found any solutions, or is this just something we’re stuck with? I'm curious is any EMF blockers would work or if the risk does not beat the reward for this health-wise. Maybe the aura ring would be a better option considering its not sitting on a major nerve.

Apple Watch Series 9, watchOS 11

Posted on Sep 26, 2024 5:35 PM

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Posted on Sep 27, 2024 3:37 PM

I’ve already consulted with doctors and ruled out something as basic as a repetitive strain injury. If it were that simple, I wouldn’t be here trying to figure out what’s actually causing the issue. Dismissing something as “junk science” without any real understanding of the issue isn't productive. There’s ongoing research into the effects of EMF radiation, and while the science isn’t fully conclusive, plenty of people are reporting similar symptoms.


If you don’t have anything constructive to add, maybe don’t comment.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 27, 2024 3:37 PM in response to KiltedTim

I’ve already consulted with doctors and ruled out something as basic as a repetitive strain injury. If it were that simple, I wouldn’t be here trying to figure out what’s actually causing the issue. Dismissing something as “junk science” without any real understanding of the issue isn't productive. There’s ongoing research into the effects of EMF radiation, and while the science isn’t fully conclusive, plenty of people are reporting similar symptoms.


If you don’t have anything constructive to add, maybe don’t comment.

Sep 26, 2024 6:12 PM in response to egall562

"After some digging, I found a lot of people online reporting similar issues, with some mentioning EMF radiation as a cause. This has been talked about for years, but nothing has been done about it nor has Apple ever addressed it"


That's because it simply doesn't exist.

It's pure bunk. Junk "science".

Ranks right up there with 5G networks being the cause of Covid...


Go see your doctor. It's much more likely you have a developing RSI.

Sep 27, 2024 4:05 PM in response to egall562

The research into whether EMF can cause wrist pain is at this point sketchy and mostly anecdotal, and what I can find involves EMF at much higher strength than a wearable device emits. Pain from wearing any watch, Apple Watch or other, most often comes from pressure on the nerve, which even with a loose band can be an issue, issues with movement not being the same as when not wearing a watch, thermal effects due to the Watch being warm, or a reaction to the materials used in the watch, nickel being the most usual, though such issues usually cause skin irritation rather than wrist pain. EMF seems unlikely, but it cannot be definitely ruled out since the science to do so does not exist any more than it exists to confirm EMF as a cause.


If your doctor has not been able to help you alleviate this pain, then really your only practical option is to stop wearing your watch. I very much doubt that you could find an effective EMF blocker; actually blocking the radio frequencies an Apple Watch uses for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cell connectivity would take more mass than you'd want to be wearing on your wrist. You could test by just turning off all the radios in the Watch, but placebo effect would be a definite factor in any results.


Regards.

Nov 18, 2024 10:26 AM in response to egall562

@egall562 I have a similar issue, but it affects my shoulder. I wear my apple watch 9 on my left wrist and it is my left shoulder that becomes incredibly sore when I'm wearing the watch. I bought the watch late June and began wearing it early July. The shoulder pain started within days of wearing it. I did not fall or injure my shoulder in any way. Exclusive of bedtime, I wore the watch continually for 4 straight months. I had continual shoulder pain the entire time. At the 4-month mark and doing some backtracking my brain thought that maybe the watch was causing the issue. At that point I stopped wearing the watch. When I did, the pain almost immediately went away. I started wearing the watch on my beltloop and to this day, I have not had any shoulder pain. I might add, that I never ever had shoulder issues until I started wearing the watch. It's a very strange phenomenon. I also have a friend who is experiencing the same shoulder pain on the arm that she wears the watch. I told her to stop wearing it for a week to see if the pain subsides. This was this past weekend. I intend to check with her at the end of this week. I tend to listen to people and their live comments instead of these people who pop up with their opinions. I also do not have any pain issue when I wear my regular analog watch.

Nov 18, 2024 11:17 AM in response to IIssilent64

I’ve been an analog watch wearer since the 1970’s and only gave it up when I bought an Apple Watch in 2016. I’ve been a member of several large social media platforms for watch enthusiasts. How do you explain the wrist pain, rashes, shoulder and elbow pain, reported by enthusiasts long before Apple Watch and other smart watches ever existed?


Which Apple Watch did you purchase?

Apple Watch Causing Nerve Pain from EMF Radiation

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