Does it hurt to apply a CGM?

The social media adverts focus a lot (!) on the fact that attaching the sensor — a medical device — doesn’t hurt. Not wanting to put customers off, they’re upfront with this, but although the majority of users will find this true to a certain degree, that’s not always the case.

I describe it as being ‘stapled’! And although most of the time it’s possible to ignore it, sometimes I’m counting down the time to that ‘naked shower’ — a term often used by sensor wearers with diabetes who actively look forward to ‘changeover day’ as this can give them a some respite before being ‘stapled’ again.

The pain factor will depend on your individual pain threshold, and varies from person to person. The more often you wear a sensor, the more likely you are to find that the process of attachment is not always painless.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that different sites can be more painful than others. I find that the inner arm area is more sensitive as it’s less exposed, so I’d tend to avoid positioning my sensor there.