Pain guide · Wrist and hand pain

Jersey finger: the fingertip that won't bend after a grab, why speed matters, and rehab after repair

Jersey finger is a tear of the tendon that bends your fingertip, pulled off the bone when a bent finger catches in a shirt and is yanked straight; it's usually the ring finger. The middle joint still bends, so it's easily taken for a sprain: the giveaway is a fingertip you can't curl on its own.

It needs a hand surgeon quickly. Contact NHS 111 the same day and ask to see a hand surgery team: experts advise a repair within about a week, and after about 3 weeks a straightforward repair may no longer be possible. This guide explains the injury and what scans show, surgery and the choice not to repair, and the protected recovery after an operation, stage by stage as your team allows, with 3D demos of the moves you can do.

4-stage exercise plan When to get help 40 sourcesUpdated 22 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E after an injury (don't drive yourself) if your hand or a finger is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or a finger has turned blue, grey, white or cold.
Same day (NHS 111): you can't bend the end of a finger on its own after it was pulled or caught, for example grabbing a shirt. Ask to see a hand surgery team: the tendon may have pulled off the bone, and it should be seen within days.
Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if a finger looks out of shape, is crooked at a joint or is pointing at an odd angle, or you heard a crack or snap when you hurt it: it may be broken or dislocated. Don't pull on it or try to put it back. Support it in the most comfortable position, raise the hand, take off any rings, and don't drive yourself.
A cut on the palm side of a finger or on the palm, after which a finger won't bend or feels numb: go to A&E. Cut tendons don't heal on their own, and UK standards ask for a repair within days.
After a repair: you feel a ping or snap, or the finger suddenly can't bend as it did. Contact your surgical or therapy team immediately: the chance to repair the tendon again may be lost after a few days.
After a repair: pus or oozing from the wound, severe pain, spreading redness or heat, or you feel unwell or feverish. Get urgent medical help.
After a repair: the hand or fingers become more swollen, red or blistered, the fingers tingle, go numb or change colour, or the splint becomes uncomfortable or starts to rub. Contact your hand team straight away.
Throbbing pain and swelling in the arm, with red, blue or darker skin and swollen veins: ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111, as it could be a blood clot. If you're also short of breath or have chest pain, call 999.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

The splint is loose, damaged or rubbing: contact your hand therapist, and don't alter it yourself.
After the splint, the finger bends when you push it but not on its own, or the movement stops improving: tell your therapist. More therapy may help, and if the tendon has stuck, an operation to free it (a tenolysis) can be considered, usually at about 4 to 6 months.
You noticed weeks later that a fingertip won't bend: it's still worth seeing a hand surgeon. There are options (leaving it, fusing the end joint, or a reconstruction in stages), and an unstable end joint can be treated.
A finger that suddenly won't bend without an injury, if you have rheumatoid arthritis: tendons weakened by it can tear without warning, so see your rheumatology team or GP.
After an injury or operation, pain that is getting worse instead of better or far worse than you'd expect, with swelling, colour or temperature changes, or skin that is very sensitive to touch: contact the clinic that treated you, your hand therapist or your GP promptly. It can be complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and early treatment may help.
You have diabetes and a hand problem: the NHS says hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.

Understand it

What it is

Each finger has two tendons that bend it. The shallower one bends the middle joint, and the deep one (flexor digitorum profundus, FDP) passes through it and runs on to the end bone, where it bends the fingertip. In jersey finger the deep tendon is pulled off the end bone, sometimes taking a piece of bone with it. It's also called rugby finger or an FDP avulsion.

Because the tendon is under tension, the free end springs back up the finger, sometimes into the palm. Cut tendons don't heal by themselves, because the tension pulls the ends apart, and the same goes for a tendon pulled off the bone.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Who gets it

A bent finger catches in an opponent's shirt and is yanked straight as they pull away. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) names American football, wrestling and rugby and calls jersey finger one of the most common sports injuries of the flexor tendons, and an NHS hand service says rugby players are prone to it. The ring finger is hurt most often.

It isn't only a sports injury: in 32 people operated on at a French centre, only 11 injuries came from sport, 26 were men, and the average age was 37. Rheumatoid arthritis can weaken flexor tendons so that they tear with little force.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

How it's recognised, and what scans show

You can't bend the fingertip on its own, though the other joints bend; the finger rests a little straighter than its neighbours; and the fingertip and the palm side of the finger are painful and may be swollen. A clinician checks each tendon separately, asking you to bend the tip on its own. Because the middle joint still bends and there may be little to see, it can be taken for a sprain, or not reported at the time.

An X-ray shows whether a piece of bone came away and how big it is. An ultrasound or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can show how far the tendon end has pulled back, which helps the surgeon plan. In 1977, Leddy and Packer sorted these injuries into types by whether there was a bone fragment, how far the tendon had pulled back and the state of its blood supply, and others have added types since.

Sources 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

What happens without a repair

A tendon that has pulled back doesn't reattach itself. The middle joint still bends, so many people manage, but grip is weaker and the tip can't curl in, and some develop an unstable end joint, which can be fused or tightened later. After about 3 weeks the muscle shortens and a straightforward repair may no longer be possible; the later options are leaving it, fusing the end joint, or a tendon reconstruction in stages. Leddy and Packer left late, relatively symptom-free fingers alone.

Sources 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12

After a repair: what to expect

The tendon is protected in a splint for about 5 to 6 weeks, doesn't regain its full strength until about 3 months after the repair, and its movement may keep improving for up to 6 months. Most fingers lose some movement.

In 102 repairs near the fingertip rehabilitated with early movement, closed avulsions had good or excellent movement overall in 67%, but measured at the end joint alone, only 22%. In 42 injuries of the tendon near the fingertip repaired with small bone anchors, 56% had good or excellent end-joint movement and 23% poor; 94% were back at work by 12 weeks and 81% were satisfied. In 29 jersey fingers followed for about 3 years, 6 results were excellent, 6 good, 7 satisfactory and 10 poor.

Sources 2, 4, 6, 13, 14

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Repair within about a week: expert advice and case seriesEmerging evidence

No trial has compared early and late repair. The advice comes from case series and experts. Leddy and Packer, in 36 athletes, found prompt diagnosis and repair within the first week gave the best results, and said a tendon that had pulled back into the palm should be repaired within 7 days. The AAOS says flexor tendon injuries are generally repaired within 7 to 10 days, and the sooner the better; a 2025 review says preferably within a week, and no later than 3 weeks.

In 7 rugby players, the 6 operated on within 10 days had a satisfactory result, and the one who came late needed a tendon-lengthening operation. In 32 French cases operated on 7 days after the injury on average, the authors credit quick diagnosis and surgery. For comparison, the UK standard for cut flexor tendons is a hand clinic, ideally within 24 hours, and surgery within 4 days. So the honest advice is: get it seen by a hand surgery team within days, not weeks.

Sources 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15

Not repairing it can be a reasonable choice for someMixed evidence

In a US series of 26 adults with injuries of the deep tendon near the fingertip, which may mix cut and torn-off tendons, the 11 not repaired had similar function scores and no complications. The 15 repaired had 4 fingers tear again, 4 wound breakdowns, 3 infections and 4 further operations. It's a small, weak study, but it supports not operating as a reasonable choice for some people, such as those found late or who don't need a strong fingertip grip. UK standards for cut flexor tendons list whether to repair one of a finger's two tendons, when the other still works, as a decision to share with you.

When a small piece of bone has come off but moved less than 2 mm, it can sometimes be splinted: in a series of 29, the 16 splinted had no loss of function at about 7 years, while most of the 13 operated on, whose fragments had moved further, lost some straightening at the end joint and about a quarter of their tip pinch strength. Your hand surgeon decides with you.

Sources 5, 15, 16, 17

Rehab after a repair: standard practice, very uncertain evidenceMixed evidence

Every UK leaflet we read starts protected exercises in a splint within days of the repair, and UK standards ask for weekly therapy for the first 6 weeks. The trials behind it are weak: a Cochrane review of 17 trials (1,108 people, mostly cut tendons in the middle of the finger) rated every comparison very low certainty, and no trial tested splint types, how long to wear the splint, or when to start strengthening.

Across 34 studies, early active movement had slightly more tears of the repair than passive movement (5% against 4%) but fewer stiff fingers (6% against 9%). In 356 repaired fingers, 4% tore again and 13% needed another operation, and older age, smoking, the little finger, more tissue damage and delay to surgery went with less movement. A review of 9 studies found too little evidence that fully active exercise beats gentler regimes. Most of this comes from cut tendons, not jersey finger, so it's borrowed evidence.

Sources 4, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21

Going back to sportEmerging evidence

NHS leaflets give sport at 10 to 12 weeks after the repair, and contact sport, heavy lifting and tight gripping from about 12 weeks, when the tendon is strong enough. A sports review gives 10 to 12 weeks for sports that need a grip and warns that going back sooner risks the tendon tearing again; in sports that don't need the hand, it says athletes may go back earlier in a protective fist-shaped cast. Another review expects 8 to 12 weeks out of most contact sports, and a third a full return within about 4 months. Your surgeon and hand therapist decide.

Sources 9, 12, 22, 23, 24, 25

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Protect the repair: the rule is your therapist's, not painEmerging evidence

Before the splint comes off, pain isn't the guide: protecting the repair is. Do only the exercises your therapist has set, at the effort they set (one NHS programme uses about half your maximum effort for a fist). Never push the fingers straight with your other hand or the splint's strap, and don't use the hand for anything else unless your therapist allows. Some mild pain during the exercises is normal. Doing too many can inflame the tendon and weaken the repair, and doing too few leaves it stiff.

Stop and call the team for a ping, a snap or a finger that suddenly stops bending.

From about 8 to 12 weeks, one NHS leaflet says: do no activity that causes pain, because the tendon isn't fully strong until 12 weeks. Once your team allows strengthening, the rule from an NHS wrist fracture booklet fits grip work, borrowed: an effort of up to about 5 out of 10 that settles within 30 minutes.

Sources 4, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28

The exercise plan: 4 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

In the splint: protect the repair (about weeks 0 to 6, as your team allows)

As your team allows, from the first days after surgery. The splint stays on day and night, usually for 5 to 6 weeks. Your finger exercises are your hand therapist's, done exactly as they set, often every hour; they aren't listed here because each repair is different, and it's normal not to make a full fist for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Keep the hand raised, never hanging down, and keep your elbow, shoulder and neck moving. Don't use the hand for anything but the exercises, don't grip, and never push the fingers straight with the other hand. Keep fit with walking and leg exercises: the moves below leave the hand alone.

Breath reach demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBreath reachBeginner · No equipment

5 breaths, the out-breath longer than the in-breath, a few times a day · The move page's dose; how often is our suggestion. It lifts the hand above your heart

Harder: Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)

Shoulder rolls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoShoulder rollsBeginner · No equipment

10 to 15 slow circles each way, once or twice through · The move page's dose. NHS leaflets ask you to keep the shoulder moving

Harder: Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)

Elbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoElbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion)Beginner · No equipment

10 slow repetitions, 2 to 3 times a day, splint on · Editorial dose; the move page's dose is for after an elbow fracture

Harder: Dumbbell biceps curl

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

20 to 30 minutes on most days, or walk outdoors · Don't hold the rails with the operated hand. Editorial dose

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Sit to stand from a chair demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

2 sets of 10, arms crossed, without pushing up on your hands · Editorial dose

Easier: Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs · Harder: Bodyweight squat

Move on when: Your team says the splint can come off in the day, usually at 5 to 6 weeks.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Out of the splint: full movement, no load (about weeks 6 to 8, as your team allows)

As your team allows. Light tasks such as fastening buttons or lifting a full cup. Bend and straighten through the full range, but don't stretch the fingers and wrist fully back until 8 weeks, and no heavy lifting or tight gripping. You may wear the splint at night or in crowds for a while. One NHS leaflet adds bending the end joint on its own with the middle joint supported (steps below).

Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)Beginner · No equipment

5 of each position your therapist allows, 5 s holds, every hour, gently · Only as your therapist allows. An NHS leaflet's dose after a flexor tendon repair

Harder: Ball squeeze

Wrist & forearm flow demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment

10 slow repetitions, 3 times a day, with the fingers relaxed · An NHS leaflet adds wrist bends at 6 weeks; the dose is editorial

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

20 to 30 minutes on most days · Editorial dose

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Move on when: Your team allows light grip and more use, usually from about 8 weeks.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

More use and a gentle stretch (about weeks 8 to 12, as your team allows)

As your team allows. Medium tasks such as light lifting and opening doors from about 8 weeks, and driving from about 8 to 10 weeks. If the finger won't fully straighten, your therapist may add gentle stretches and a night splint. Still no heavy lifting, tight gripping or contact sport, and do nothing that causes pain.

3D demoTendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)Beginner · No equipment

4 to 6 of each position, 5 s holds, up to 4 times a day · The move page's dose

Harder: Ball squeeze

Ball squeeze demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBall squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

A soft ball: 10 gentle squeezes with 5 s holds, twice a day · Only once your therapist allows grip. Editorial dose

Easier: Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) · Harder: Band finger extension

Band finger extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand finger extensionBeginner · A band

2 sets of 10 with a light band · Editorial dose

Easier: Ball squeeze · Harder: Plate pinch

Wrist flexor stretch demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist flexor stretchBeginner · A wall

2 gentle holds of 20 to 30 s · Not before 8 weeks, as an NHS leaflet says. Editorial dose

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Quadruped wrist rocks

Dumbbell forearm rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell forearm rotationBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 sets of 10, with no weight, then a light one · Editorial dose

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Move on when: Your team clears full use, usually at 10 to 12 weeks.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 4

Strength and back to sport (from about 10 to 12 weeks, as your team allows)

As your team allows. Heavy lifting, tight gripping, manual work and contact sport from about 12 weeks in one NHS programme, and sport from 10 to 12 weeks in others. Build grip 2 to 3 times a week. Movement may keep improving for up to 6 months. The doses are editorial.

3D demoBall squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

2 to 3 sets of 10, 5 s holds, with a firmer ball

Easier: Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) · Harder: Band finger extension

Wrist curls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell

2 sets of 10 to 15

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Reverse wrist curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 sets of 10 to 15

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m

Harder: Suitcase carry

3D demoBar hangIntermediate · Pull-up bar + A step

Short open-handed hangs, building from 10 s · For climbers and gymnasts, only once you're cleared for full grip

Easier: Exercise ball pyramid drape · Harder: One-arm dead hang

Move on when: Your grip is close to the other hand's and you've been cleared for your sport. The grip strength workout takes it from here.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Before you're seen

Raise the hand, take off any rings and use a cold pack wrapped in a towel. Don't keep testing the finger or try to force the tip to bend, and don't wait to see if it settles (our suggestion). You may be given a splint to protect it until the operation.

Sources 2, 29

Bending the end joint on its own (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show this. One NHS leaflet adds it at 6 weeks after a flexor tendon repair, so start only when your therapist says. It's the end-joint half of the finger joint blocking move.

1. Sit with your forearm resting on a table, palm up and the fingers relaxed.
2. With the thumb and index finger of your other hand, hold the middle part of the operated finger, so the middle joint stays straight.
3. Slowly bend the end joint as far as is comfortable, pause, then straighten it.
4. Do 5 slow bends with 5 s holds, several times a day (our suggestion; the leaflet gives no dose). Never force it, and stop if it hurts.

Source 23

Typical timings, which your team may change

These come from NHS leaflets and an NHS therapy guideline, and they differ a little. Your own team's plan comes first.

The splint: day and night for about 5 to 6 weeks, then at night or in crowds for a while; one service keeps a night splint for another 6 weeks.
Exercises out of the splint: from about 4 to 6 weeks, as your therapist says.
Light tasks such as typing, writing and dressing: from about 6 to 8 weeks.
Driving: from about 8 weeks in two leaflets, and 10 weeks in another.
Medium tasks such as light lifting and opening doors: from about 8 to 10 weeks.
Heavy lifting, tight gripping and manual work: from about 10 to 12 weeks.
Sport: from 10 to 12 weeks, and contact sport from about 12 weeks.
Full strength: about 3 months; movement can keep improving for up to 6 months.

Sources 3, 4, 22, 23, 24, 30, 31

If you decide not to have it repaired

No source gives a programme for this. Our suggestion: keep the finger moving with tendon glides, build grip within comfort through stages 3 and 4, and see the hand team again if the end joint becomes unstable, which can be treated.

Sources 3, 5, 11

Smoking

One NHS hand service says smoking has a massive negative effect on tendon healing, and in a large series smoking went with less movement after a repair. If you smoke, stopping now helps, and NHS stop smoking services can support you.

Sources 3, 20

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Waiting to see if it settles	Experts advise a repair within about a week, and after about 3 weeks a straightforward repair may no longer be possible.	NHS 111 the same day, asking for a hand surgery team.
Taking the splint off at home	It protects the repair; NHS leaflets say keep it on unless your therapist says.	Leave splint changes to your therapist.
Pushing the fingers straight with the other hand or the strap	It can pull the repair apart.	Straighten only as far as the splint, with the finger's own muscles.
Squeezing a ball or gripping in the first weeks	No gripping until about 8 to 12 weeks, and no tight grip or heavy lifting until about 12.	Walking and leg strength meanwhile.Try: Treadmill walking
Letting the hand hang down	It swells.	Keep it raised, and lift the arms often.Try: Breath reach
Stretching the fingers and wrist fully back before 8 weeks	One NHS leaflet says not until 8 weeks after the repair.	Active wrist movement only.Try: Wrist & forearm flow
Driving before about 8 weeks	With or without the splint, driving risks tearing the repair, and you can't control the car safely in a splint.	Lifts or public transport.
Smoking	It slows tendon healing and went with a stiffer finger after a repair.	NHS stop smoking support.
Contact sport before 10 to 12 weeks	The tendon isn't fully strong until about 12 weeks, and it can tear again.	Non-contact training, walking and leg work.

Routines to follow

Easy cardio workout

A steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.

40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wall

Low-impact leg workout (no jumping)

A gentle leg strength routine with no jumping: sit-to-stands, step-ups, wall sits, bridges and calf raises.

20 minBeginner7 movesA bench or box, A step

Grip strength workout: squeezes, curls, carries and hangs

A 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.

20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A band

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

What is jersey finger?

A tear of the deep tendon that bends the fingertip, where it attaches to the end bone, sometimes with a piece of bone. It usually happens when a finger catches in an opponent's shirt and is yanked straight.

How do I know if I have jersey finger?

You can't bend the end of the finger on its own, though the middle joint still bends, and the finger rests a little straighter than the others. It usually affects the ring finger.

Is jersey finger an emergency?

It's urgent: contact NHS 111 the same day and ask to see a hand surgery team. Experts advise a repair within about a week, and after about 3 weeks a straightforward repair may not be possible.

Does jersey finger always need surgery?

Usually, to reattach the tendon. A small piece of bone that hasn't moved can sometimes be splinted, and some people choose not to have a repair, especially if it's found late. Decide it with your hand surgeon, early.

What happens if I don't get it fixed?

The fingertip won't bend on its own, but the middle joint will, so many people manage, with a weaker grip. If the end joint becomes unstable, it can be fused or tightened later.

How long is recovery after surgery?

A splint for about 5 to 6 weeks, light use from about 6 to 8 weeks, and heavy lifting and contact sport from about 10 to 12 weeks. The tendon isn't fully strong until about 3 months, and movement can keep improving for up to 6 months.

What exercises will I do after surgery?

Your hand therapist starts protected exercises in the splint within days, often every hour. Later come the tendon glides and bending the end joint on its own, then grip work, each only when your team allows.

When can I play rugby or other sport again?

Usually 10 to 12 weeks after the repair for sports that need a grip, and about 12 weeks for contact sport in NHS leaflets. Going back sooner risks the tendon tearing again, so your surgeon and hand therapist decide.

Will my finger be normal again?

Most people get a useful finger back, but the end joint often doesn't bend fully. In one series, only about 1 in 5 torn tendons repaired near the fingertip had good or excellent movement at the end joint.

What's the difference between jersey finger and mallet finger?

They're opposites. In mallet finger the tendon that straightens the tip is torn, so the tip droops; in jersey finger the tendon that bends it is torn, so the tip won't curl. Each has its own guide.

Why is it usually the ring finger?

Studies since the 1970s have found it most often in the ring finger, and the reason is still debated. Any finger can be affected.

What if I feel a ping after my repair?

Contact your surgical or therapy team straight away if you feel a snap or the finger suddenly stops bending. The repair may have broken, and the chance to fix it again can be lost within days.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.