Fitbit Charge HR causing arm pain?

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walkjem
walkjem Posts: 47 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Any Fitbit wearers here experiencing arm pain? I have had moderate left forearm pain for 2 months that just started radiating to my hand. I get a sharp pain if I reach behind myself, and sleeping on that side is almost impossible.

I googled Fitbit and arm pain, and there are dozens of people complaining about arm/wrist pain. I thought I had yanked my shoulder doing chin-ups or spending too much time on my phone playing games. I stopped wearing it. My daughter also had arm pain, and after the fitbit band broke a few month's ago, her arm pain went away.

I am wondering if the heart rate signal and blue tooth capability along with holding a phone that is synchronizing with the Fitbit can affect the nervous system?! Scary...

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    Does that one vibrate? Do you have it set to buzz for various things? That vibration on my Alta HR irritates my carpal tunnel so I changed the setting so that it only vibrates once per day when I reach 10,000 steps.
  • walkjem
    walkjem Posts: 47 Member
    edited September 2017
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    It only vibrates when I reach my daily goal of 10,000 steps.

    I should have said that I was wearing it rather tightly, I never slept in it, I used it for 18 months.

    Thanks.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
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    After 2 years wearing either a charge hr or the charge 2, I can say that I have never had any arm pain from it.
  • lhub2
    lhub2 Posts: 18 Member
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    I had a Charge HR too, and also had pain in my wrist from wearing it. I found that if I wore it on the inside of my wrist it didn't hurt. It seemed to be just as accurate, too.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    I've been wearing one for about 1.5 years and have vibrate turned on (actually vibrating and showing me who is calling is that only thing I really love about it). No arm pain here. But if that's a thing I might start faking it. Mine was a gift that I don't care for but now am obligated to wear.
  • rondabowen
    rondabowen Posts: 1 Member
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    I had that problem. :( I can't even put it on for five minutes. I'm trying to figure out if any of the other watches do that, if it's something unique to my interactions with Fitbit or to HR monitors in general. I'm super sad I had to stop wearing it
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Take it for what it's worth, but just thinking about things logically makes me think it's NOT the fitbit.
  • cerin3646
    cerin3646 Posts: 11 Member
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    Mine will hurt/ just feels weird for a few days when I first start wearing it. Then I get used to the feeling. Bahahahha who knows. Must be the heart rate monitor....
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited November 2017
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    Anecdotally, I used a Charge HR for a couple of years and didn't have any issues. Pragmatically, I'm having a hard time imagining what an HRM or bluetooth could possibly be doing to cause arm pain. Maybe if you're wearing it too tight or the face is pressing weird?
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
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    It sounds more like either carpal tunnel or tendinitis. (I can never remember which one has pain radiating down the forearm.) If it's persistent pain you should get it checked by a doctor.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
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    I have had the Blaze and now the Ionic. I have not dealt with arm pain, but I have had to switch it from wrist to wrist at times. The reason is the area where the light is on my skin gets a little irritated and I have also have had some itchiness on the sides of the wrist bands. I think the itchiness comes from some kind of irritant getting on the band and I dont clean it off right away. So it sits there on my skin to long.

    I do have carpal tunnel in both my hands and have not had issues with it making it worse or painful.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
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    rondabowen wrote: »
    I had that problem. :( I can't even put it on for five minutes. I'm trying to figure out if any of the other watches do that, if it's something unique to my interactions with Fitbit or to HR monitors in general. I'm super sad I had to stop wearing it

    Make take on it would be like anything else and that everyone has different reactions to many things. Just like allergies some people have them bad and some people dont have them at all.
  • wassimmel
    wassimmel Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi
    I had the same issue. Switched wrists to make sure and it happened to my second arm.
    I was going to a chiropractor and he did an experiment where he had once the fitbit close and once far (without me knowing which time it was close and when it was far) and the force in my hand/arm was way weaker when the Fitbit was close. When i stopped wearing it, my arm was back to normal in a couple of days.

    In any case, there's a warning about it in fitbit's safety instructions due https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/legal/safety-instructions#:~:text=Fitbit products contain electrical equipment,product, please immediately discontinue use.
  • fstrickl
    fstrickl Posts: 883 Member
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    I’ve had a Charge 4 for a few months and no pain. Prior to that I had an Alta HR for like 4 years(??) and never experienced pain. Maybe sometimes if i wear it too tight to bed it gets irritating.

    I know some folks have had a rash from them.
  • debrabv
    debrabv Posts: 1 Member
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    I have been having pain only in my left arm where I wear my Fitbit. It’s weaker and I’ve lost range of motion, I’ve been wearing a Fitbit for years and this has been happening for the past 4-5 months.

    Thank you to the original post, I’ll remove my Fitbit and see what changes. The symptoms come off as the beginning of arthritis, but I’m 45 with no family background. I’ll head to the doctor as a second check.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,541 Member
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    My first Charge 2 actually burned my skin. Fitbit replaced it and I've been wearing this one for about 2 years now with no problems. Do you have burn marks where the sensor sits? That's the first thing to test. Then: it is loose around your wrist or tight? Try loosening it.

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