Pain guide · Wrist and hand pain

Wrist pain when doing pull-ups: the little-finger and thumb sides, grip, chin-ups and what helps

Wrist pain when you do pull-ups or chin-ups usually comes from the grip rather than the pull: your fingers and forearm hold your whole weight on the bar, and gripping hard with the palm down shifts load towards the little-finger side of the wrist. Where it hurts is the best clue: the little-finger side, worse with an overhand bar or a hard squeeze, sometimes clicking, points to the cartilage cushion there (the triangular fibrocartilage complex, or TFCC) or the tendon beside it; the thumb side at the base of the thumb, worse with thumbs-up handles, to de Quervain's; the back of the wrist in muscle-ups or the false grip to a pinched joint lining or a hidden ganglion; and tingling in your fingers to a nerve. Neutral handles or rings for the little-finger side, an overhand grip for the thumb side, hands about shoulder-width, fewer sets to failure and pulldowns for volume usually help. No study has measured the wrist in a pull-up, so this guide says where each piece of advice comes from.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from a 999 call or accident and emergency (A&E) for a wrist that is out of shape, numb or cold after a fall from the bar, or a grip that catches on the bar and hurts the forearm, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for pain at the base of the thumb after a fall, a hot, swollen wrist, lost feeling in your hand or a pop at the front of the elbow. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the studies of grip, forearm rotation and hanging show, and don't, shows how to change your pull-up today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from pulldowns and wrist work back to the bar.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 44 sourcesUpdated 28 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 the arm, wrist or hand is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or the wrist, thumb or a finger has changed shape, is at an odd angle, or has turned blue, grey, white or cold.
Same day (NHS 111): severe wrist pain; you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain, or you feel unwell, hot, cold or shivery; you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise when you hurt it; you can't move your wrist or hold things; your wrist has changed shape or colour; a lump on your wrist is very painful, hot or red (redness may be harder to see on brown and black skin); or you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand. These might be signs of a broken wrist or an infection.
Same day (NHS 111, an urgent treatment centre or an urgent GP appointment): a wrist or hand injury that is very painful, getting worse, very swollen or bruised, stiff, or that you can't use. It may be broken. Get the same help if you also have a very high temperature, or feel hot, cold or shivery: this could be an infection.
Same day: after a fall onto an outstretched hand, pain or tenderness at the base of the thumb on the back of the wrist (the hollow called the snuffbox), even if the wrist moves well or the first X-ray was normal. A broken scaphoid can hide on the first X-ray and is slow to heal if it's missed, so ask what follow-up is planned.
Same day (NHS 111): after an injury, the forearm locks so you can't turn the palm up or down, or the end of the forearm bone on the little-finger side clunks or sticks up at the back of the wrist. The joint between the forearm bones may have come out of place.
Call 999 if a gymnast's grip catches on the bar (grip lock) and the forearm is hurt or out of shape. Support the gymnast so they aren't hanging from the injured arm, and don't move a gymnast who has fallen and has neck pain. A broken forearm is likely.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): sudden, severe pain in one joint, with swelling, a change in skin colour or difficulty moving it, especially if you feel unwell, hot, cold or shivery or have a high temperature (although not everyone has one). It could be an infection in the joint, gout or calcium crystals (pseudogout), and only a sample of fluid from the joint can tell them apart.
Call 999 or go to A&E: sudden, severe pain in a muscle of the forearm or hand, which may be worse when you stretch it, with swelling, numbness, weakness or pins and needles, or tightness or difficulty moving the fingers. This can be acute compartment syndrome, which needs surgery as soon as possible. It usually follows an injury, a crush, or a cast or bandage that is too tight. Do not drive yourself to A&E.
Same day: you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand.
Contact your GP practice urgently (or NHS 111 if it's closed): clumsiness in your hands, or numbness, pins and needles or weakness in one or both arms that is getting worse.
Same day: both hands numb or clumsy (dropping things, trouble with buttons or handwriting), especially with unsteady walking or falls. Pressure on the spinal cord in the neck can do this, and it is often first mistaken for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Urgent treatment centre or A&E: a pop or snap and sudden pain during an effort, which could be a torn tendon. At the front of the elbow, with bruising and a bulge in the upper arm, don't wait for it to settle: a torn biceps tendon is best repaired within the first 2 to 3 weeks. If it happened weeks ago, still get it checked: repair is often still possible, though it may need a tendon graft.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of pull-ups, push-ups, dips or curls, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.
Call 999, even if it passes: sudden weakness or numbness in one arm, with a drooping face or slurred speech. These are signs of a stroke.
Call 999: chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck or jaw. It could be a heart attack.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it at home, getting worse, keeps coming back, or stopping you doing normal activities. In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy.
Any tingling or loss of feeling in the hand or wrist.
Carpal tunnel symptoms that are getting worse, not going away, or not helped by treatment at home; sooner if the thumb is weak or the muscle at the base of the thumb looks thinner.
Constant numbness in the ring and little fingers, a weak or clumsy hand, or visible wasting of the muscle between the thumb and index finger. Ask about referral: one NHS referral guide treats permanent numbness or wasting as urgent.
See a GP if your wrist is painful, warm, swollen and stiff, or you have wrist pain and also feel unwell with a high temperature.
The wrist feels unstable or weak, or clicks with pain: see a GP or physiotherapist. It may need a hand specialist to check it.
A deep ache in the middle of the back of the wrist that keeps coming back when you load it, often with a weaker grip, even if an X-ray was normal: see a GP or physiotherapist and ask whether a scan is needed. A hidden ganglion or, rarely, Kienböck's disease (loss of blood supply to a wrist bone) can be missed on early X-rays.
A fall on the hand more than about 4 weeks ago that still hurts at the base of the thumb, and was never X-rayed or put in a splint: get it checked. UK hand surgeons ask for a scan and may advise an operation after a delay of more than 4 weeks.
A teenager whose wrist still hurts the day after lifting, cleans, handstands or push-ups, or whose wrist is swollen: stop putting weight through the hands and see a GP or sports doctor. In growing athletes it can be a stress injury of the growth plate.
A lump that gets bigger, is hard or doesn't move.
Swollen, stiff joints in several fingers or both hands, with morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes. NICE asks GPs to refer suspected rheumatoid arthritis urgently when the small joints of the hands or feet, or more than one joint, are affected, or there has been a delay of 3 months or longer between the symptoms starting and seeking medical advice, even if blood tests are normal.
You have diabetes and a hand problem: the NHS says hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.
You're over 50 and have broken your wrist: ask about a fracture liaison service to check your bone health.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

The little-finger side, worse with an overhand bar, a hard squeeze, a wide grip or turning the forearm, sometimes clicking

Often the cartilage cushion there (the TFCC) or the tendon beside it. Neutral handles or rings, then chin-ups, usually suit it better than an overhand bar (our reading of grip studies), with the pain kept to about 3 out of 10.

Read: TFCC tear →Along the back of the little-finger side, worse with chin-ups on a straight bar

Possibly the extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon, which a straight bar held fully palm up can strain. Rings or handles let your hands turn to their own angle.

Read: TFCC tear →The thumb side at the base of the thumb, worse gripping hard or with thumbs-up handles

Often de Quervain's tenosynovitis. An overhand grip that is firm, not crushing, usually suits it better than neutral handles for now.

Read: De Quervain's tenosynovitis →Pain at the base of the thumb, tender in the hollow there, after a fall from the bar

A possible broken scaphoid, which can hide on the first X-ray: get it checked the same day, even if the wrist moves well.

Read: Scaphoid fracture →The middle of the back of the wrist, sharp in muscle-ups, the false grip or the turnover onto the bar

Often the joint lining being pinched or a hidden ganglion. Linking it to muscle-ups and the false grip is our reading: no study has looked.

Read: Wrist pain bending back →The back of the wrist with a painful click or clunk after a slip or a fall

Possibly the ligament between two of the wrist bones (the scapholunate ligament): get it checked.

Read: Wrist sprain or fracture →A smooth lump on the back of the wrist

Often a ganglion, which is harmless and often goes on its own. A very painful, hot or red lump needs a same-day check.

Read: Ganglion cyst →Tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often at night

Carpal tunnel syndrome, worse with bent-wrist or hard gripping tasks. Tingling that lasts needs a GP.

Read: Carpal tunnel syndrome →Tingling in the ring and little fingers, worse holding the elbow fully bent at the top of a chin-up

Usually the ulnar nerve at the elbow rather than the wrist.

Read: Ulnar nerve entrapment →

Sore, blistered or torn skin on the palm or fingers

The skin rather than the wrist. Chalk, filing calluses and fewer high-rep sets usually help (our suggestion).

A deep ache in the middle of the back of the wrist that keeps coming back, with a weaker grip

Rarely Kienböck's disease, which early X-rays can miss: see a GP.

Read: Kienböck's disease →A teenager's wrist, sore the day after bars, rings or hand support work

Possibly a stress injury of the growth plate: no weight through the hands while it hurts, and get it checked.

Read: Gymnast's wrist →The inner forearm or the elbow rather than the wrist

Usually the forearm tendons at the elbow: our elbow pull-up guide covers them.

Read: Elbow pain in pull-ups →The shoulder or the back when you pull

Our shoulder and back pull-up guides cover them.

Read: Shoulder pain in pull-ups →The same wrist pain in dips, push-ups or presses

Our dips, push-up and lifting wrist guides cover each one.

Read: Wrist pain in dips →

Understand it

What a pull-up asks of the wrist, and what no study has measuredEmerging evidence

You hang from straight arms and pull your chest towards the bar. The back and arm muscles do the pulling, and the finger and wrist muscles of the forearm hold you on the bar for the whole set. In 19 trained men, overhand, underhand, neutral and rope grips worked the shoulder, arm and forearm muscles much alike over a full rep; in 25 adults, the chin-up worked the biceps and chest harder than the pull-up. Thick grips raised forearm muscle activity, including the extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon on the little-finger side, and cut the number of pull-ups in 15 trained men, and small climbing holds cut reps and power.

No study has measured the wrist's angle or load in a pull-up, a chin-up or a hang, or counted wrist pain from them. So the map on this page comes from what each condition is known to do (our reading).

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

What palm-down gripping does to the wristEmerging evidence

The ulna, the forearm bone on the little-finger side, moves against the radius as the forearm turns and the hand grips. In 120 volunteers on X-ray, it sat furthest towards the wrist when gripping with the palm down (1.52 mm beyond the radius on average) and least when relaxed with the palm up (0.19 mm); a maximal grip moved it 1.81 mm further in 41 men; and in 9 donated forearms, the force through the end of the ulna was greatest with the palm down.

Choosing your pull-up grip by the side that hurts is our reading of these X-ray and cadaver studies: no one has measured the wrist on a pull-up bar. Two cautions: how far the ulna sits towards the wrist was only weakly linked to the load through it in 58 donated forearms, and in 59 young gymnasts it wasn't linked to wrist pain.

Sources 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Where it hurts, and how common each cause is

No study counts the causes of wrist pain in pull-ups, so the figures here come from climbers, gymnasts and CrossFit athletes, not people doing pull-ups.

The little-finger side: ulnar-sided injuries were the commonest of 78 wrist injuries in climbers seen at a specialist centre; in a survey of 745 climbers, TFCC injuries were 8.8% and ulnar-sided wrist pain 6.7% of injuries reported; and in 25 Olympic athletes who needed a wrist magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, TFCC changes were the commonest finding (56%), mostly long-standing, and the ECU the most often injured tendon.
The thumb side: de Quervain's is linked with forceful, repetitive hand work (about 3 times the odds in a meta-analysis), though that link doesn't prove cause; it is about 2.6 times as common in women and peaks at 40 to 59, and it rose with training volume in 45 volleyball players. The NHS lists pain, swelling and stiffness at the base of the thumb under tendonitis (de Quervain's) or arthritis.
The middle of the back of the wrist: in people with this pain when loading a bent-back wrist, MRI found a cause in 84%, mostly a hidden ganglion. That muscle-ups, the false grip and the turnover bring it out is our reading.
A smooth lump: often a ganglion, which the NHS says usually gets better without treatment, though this can take months.
Tingling in the thumb and first fingers: carpal tunnel syndrome, which the NHS says is worse with frequent wrist bending or hard gripping.
A sprain after a slip or fall: the NHS lists the wrist and thumb among the commonest places for a sprain, with pain, swelling or bruising and trouble using the joint normally.

Sources 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Who gets itEmerging evidence

People adding pull-ups, chin-up challenges, kipping or muscle-ups quickly; calisthenics athletes (wrists made up 15% of injuries in 181 Dutch athletes, after shoulders at 32%); CrossFit and high-intensity functional training athletes (wrist, hand and fingers 12% of injuries across 28 studies; 20.4% of 270 CrossFit athletes had a hand or wrist injury, mostly the wrist); climbers; gymnasts, about half of whom have wrist pain at any time; and lifters (the hand and fingers made up 15.3% of injuries in weightlifting reports). People who also load the wrist bent back in push-ups, front squats and handstands that week are a likely group too (our reading).

In a self-selected gym survey of 1,387 people, 69 of 354 doing bodyweight pull-ups (19.5%) linked them to pain, against 40 of 355 on a machine (11.3%), but the survey didn't record where it hurt, so the share that is wrist pain is unknown.

Sources 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

Rarer and serious

A fall from the bar is the main serious risk: US emergency departments see about 4,000 pull-up bar injuries a year, mostly falls, with the head and face nearly half and then the shoulder, wrist and forearm. After a fall, a broken scaphoid or wrist or a forearm joint knocked out of place need checking, and with gymnastic grips a grip that catches on the bar is a 999 call. A hot, swollen wrist without an injury, a pop at the front of the elbow with a bulge, arms far sorer or weaker than a big session explains, several swollen joints, and a lump that grows are all in the warning signs.

Sources 28, 29

When a scan or test mattersStrong evidence

Not at first for an ache without warning signs: the NHS starts with looking after it at home, and a GP if it hasn't improved after 2 weeks. After a fall, an X-ray comes first. Tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb is sensitive for a broken scaphoid but not specific, and no single sign rules one out: about 9% of suspected cases with normal X-rays were broken, 21.8% of scaphoid fractures in one review were missed on the first X-ray, and MRI picked up 94.2%.

Little-finger-side pain that clicks, feels unstable or won't settle needs an examination and sometimes MRI, but tears show on MRI in wrists that don't hurt, as our TFCC guide explains, so the result has to match the examination. Tingling that lasts needs a GP, who may arrange nerve tests.

Sources 17, 29, 30, 31, 32, 20

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

No study follows wrist pain from pull-ups. The NHS expects most wrist pain to ease with home care, with a GP if it hasn't after 2 weeks, and says a mild tendon injury should feel better within 2 to 3 weeks. Of 78 climbing wrist injuries followed for at least 2 years, most were treated without surgery; 65.4% had healed and 34.6% still had some discomfort, with average pain falling from 4.8 to 0.7 out of 10. For de Quervain's, one steroid injection was a lasting success for 71.9% in a large database. No one can promise a date.

Sources 17, 33, 11, 15

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Changing the grip: lab studies in healthy people, not treatment trialsEmerging evidence

Grips work the muscles much alike, so swapping costs little in training: overhand beat neutral only for the middle trapezius in 19 trained men (60.1% against 37.1% of a maximal effort). A wide grip raised the load at the shoulder by 7% in 21 men, and thick grips raised forearm work and cut reps. None of these studies measured the wrist or pain, and no study has tested a grip change as a treatment.

Sources 1, 2, 5, 3

Choosing the grip by the side that hurts: our readingEmerging evidence

Palm down plus a hard grip moved the ulna furthest towards the wrist on X-ray, and the load through the end of the ulna was greatest palm down in donated forearms. So with little-finger-side pain, try neutral handles or rings first, then chin-ups, with the overhand bar last; with thumb-side pain, an overhand grip that is firm, not crushing, and thumbs-up handles last, as the hammer curl move page advises for de Quervain's. This is our reading of X-ray and cadaver studies: no one has measured the wrist on a pull-up bar.

Sources 6, 7, 8

Forearm and grip strength: performance gains, borrowed for rehabEmerging evidence

In 30 inactive men, adding wrist curls, reverse wrist curls and reverse curls (3 sets of 12) and farmer's walks (3 of 30 seconds) to an 8-week pull-up programme raised pull-ups from 4.0 to 12.9 and grip by 12% to 14%. That is performance in healthy men, not a treatment. An NHS trust wrist booklet, written for after a broken wrist, brings weight back through the hand in steps and builds weighted wrist bends to 3 sets of 10 every other day, and the site's wrist guides borrow it. Hangboard training raised grip a little in 30 uninjured climbers.

For tendon pain in the hand and wrist, a systematic review found only 12 small studies (106 patients) with imprecise doses, so the case for exercise here is thin and borrowed.

Sources 34, 35, 36, 37

The little-finger side: non-surgical care firstEmerging evidence

Our TFCC guide puts non-surgical care first when the wrist is stable. In 32 people with a TFCC tear from an injury, a staged programme of splints, strengthening and balance work cut pain from 5.3 to 0.5 out of 10 and raised grip strength by 59.5%, but there was no comparison group.

Source 38

The thumb side: splints and injections carry the evidenceStrong evidence

Across 30 trials (1,663 people) with de Quervain's, adding a thumb splint for 3 to 4 weeks to a steroid injection helped function slightly more than the injection alone (about 10 points on a 100-point arm function scale, moderate certainty, which the authors judged not clinically important), and a splint on its own was the treatment most likely to be least effective. Wearing a splint full-time did no better than wearing it when wanted in a trial of 58 people. One injection was a lasting success for 71.9% in a large database.

Sources 39, 40, 15

Braces, wraps and straps: untested for pull-upsMixed evidence

No trial has tested wrist braces, wraps, lifting straps or hooks for pain in pull-ups. A wrist brace eased gymnasts' pain on the pommel horse, floor and bars by about half over 3 weeks, but without a comparison group. Straps take the grip out of pulldowns, rows and carries without changing the wrist's angle. Use them for comfort if they help; they are not a treatment.

Source 41

A fall from the bar: the first X-ray can miss a broken scaphoidStrong evidence

In systematic reviews, tenderness in the hollow at the base of the thumb was the most sensitive sign but often positive without a fracture, no single sign ruled a hidden fracture out, and about 1 in 5 scaphoid fractures were missed on the first X-ray. That is why pain there after a fall needs a same-day check and follow-up, even if the wrist moves well.

Sources 30, 31, 32

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within half an hour, no worse the next morning; about 3 out of 10 on the little-finger sideEmerging evidence

This guide uses the wrist hub's rule, as our other wrist movement guides do. Some discomfort during these exercises is fine and doesn't mean you are doing damage. Keep it to about 5 out of 10 or less. It should settle within half an hour or so, and your hand should be no worse the next morning. If it is, do fewer, smaller or lighter next time, not nothing. An NHS wrist rehabilitation booklet uses the same limit: an unpleasant stretch of about 5 out of 10 that settles within 30 minutes.

Tingling and numbness are different: stop and get advice if an exercise brings them on and they don't fade quickly, or if your grip or thumb gets weaker.

On the little-finger side, keep it lower: about 3 out of 10, as our TFCC tear, front squat and plank wrist guides do, from a review's targets that its authors call untested.

The Oxford NHS trust booklet, the source of the 5 out of 10 limit, describes discomfort that should settle down quickly once you stop, within 30 minutes. In 7 trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, none in the wrist, exercise allowed to hurt a little did slightly better in the short term and no worse later than pain-free exercise.

For pull-ups (our suggestion, built on the same rule): judge each set by its last reps, and use the step of the ladder (pulldowns and rows, band help, slow lowering, full pull-ups, then chin-ups, wide grips, weighted pull-ups and muscle-ups), the grip and the hang time where your wrist stays at 5 out of 10 or less (3 on the little-finger side), settles within half an hour and is no worse the next morning. Tingling or numbness, a click or clunk with pain, swelling, pain after a fall from the bar, or a teenager's wrist that is sore the next day isn't a pain-rule question: see the warning signs.

Sources 35, 42

The exercise plan: 3 stages

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

Stage 1

Keep pulling without the painful grip

About the first 2 weeks, pulling 2 or 3 times a week and wrist movement daily: keep the back and arms training with a grip that passes the pain rule, keep the wrist moving, and start still holds for a sore side. No kipping, muscle-ups, false-grip work, weighted pull-ups, long hangs, thick bars or sets to failure. With a diagnosed condition (a TFCC tear, de Quervain's, a broken scaphoid or wrist, a ganglion, carpal tunnel syndrome), that guide's plan comes first; after a fracture or surgery, your team's plan does.

Wrist & forearm flow demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment

Each movement 5 to 10 times, holding the end of each bend for 10 to 15 seconds, in a comfortable range, daily · The Oxford NHS trust booklet's active wrist dose, written for after a broken wrist (borrowed)

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

V-bar pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoV-bar pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure · As in our elbow pull-up guide (editorial). Palms facing each other; with thumb-side pain, use an overhand, shoulder-width bar instead

Harder: Pull-up

Chest-supported dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12 · As in our elbow pull-up guide (editorial). Palms facing in, or facing back with thumb-side pain

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure, with 60 to 90 seconds' rest · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point)

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Reverse wrist curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

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

If the back or little-finger side is sore: 5 still holds of 30 to 45 s, once a day · As in our bench press and lifting wrist guides (editorial). Palm down, wrist level, forearm supported

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Move on when: Gripping a cup, a bag or a dumbbell is comfortable, the stage 1 pulls pass the pain rule, and your wrist is no worse the next morning, for a week (editorial, as in our wrist lifting guide).

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

Stage 2

Load the forearm and rebuild the hang

About weeks 2 to 6, strength work every other day: forearm strength in every direction, grip under a carried load, then hanging and band-assisted pulling with the grip that suits your side.

Wrist curls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell

A weight you can lift 10 times before the wrist feels tired, holding each lift for a count of 5 and lowering slowly, building to 3 sets of 10, every other day · The Oxford NHS trust booklet's strengthening dose (borrowed)

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

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

The same: 10 lifts with a 5-second hold, building to 3 sets of 10, every other day · The Oxford booklet's dose (borrowed)

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Dumbbell forearm rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

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

5 slow turns each way with a light weight, building to 2 sets of 10 · The Oxford booklet's weighted turning dose, then editorial. Stop short of the end of the turn if it clicks on the little-finger side

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

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

3 walks of 20 to 30 m, light, wrists straight · As in our wrist lifting and elbow pull-up guides (editorial)

Harder: Suitcase carry

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

3 to 5 holds of 10 to 20 s, with your feet ready to take your weight · As in our elbow pull-up guide (editorial). Neutral handles or rings for the little-finger side, overhand for the thumb side; its move page warns that hanging loads the grip heavily, so it follows carries

Easier: Incline ring row · Harder: One-arm dead hang

Band-assisted pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand-assisted pull-upIntermediate · A band + Pull-up bar

2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 with a band that lets you finish each set in good form · The move page's dose (the American Council on Exercise's; the page also gives the National Academy of Sports Medicine's 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 10). Shoulder-width, on neutral handles if your bar has them

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Pull-up

Move on when: 3 sets of 10 wrist bends both ways and the band-assisted pull-ups pass the pain rule, 20-second hangs are comfortable, and your wrist is fine the next morning, for a week (editorial).

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

Stage 3

Back to the bar

From about weeks 4 to 6, often later for the little-finger side: unassisted pull-ups with the friendliest grip first, then your usual grips and programme, one change at a time by the written steps below. No study has tested a return to pull-ups after wrist pain, so the order is editorial.

Negative pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoNegative pull-upIntermediate · Pull-up bar + A step

3 sets of 3 to 5, lowering over 3 to 5 s and stepping down at the bottom · As in our elbow pull-up guide (editorial); expect some muscle soreness at first

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Pull-up

V-bar pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoV-bar pull-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar + Other / check instructions

2 to 3 sets of 3 to 8, stopping with 1 or 2 reps in reserve · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point). First with little-finger-side pain, last with thumb-side pain

Easier: V-bar pulldown · Harder: Pull-up

3D demoChin-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar

2 to 3 sets, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure · As in our elbow pull-up guide (editorial). Hands shoulder-width or a little closer; with little-finger-side pain, before the overhand bar

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Weighted pull-up

3D demoPull-upAdvanced · Pull-up bar

3 sets, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure · As in our elbow and shoulder pull-up guides (editorial). Shoulder-width overhand grip, thumbs round the bar; last with little-finger-side pain

Easier: Assisted pull-up (machine) · Harder: Weighted pull-up

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

3 to 5 holds of 20 to 30 s with your usual grip, feet ready · Editorial. Towel and thick-bar hangs come back after strict pull-ups pass the rule

Easier: Incline ring row · Harder: One-arm dead hang

3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell

2 sets of 10 to 15 twice a week, with reverse wrist curls the same, kept up for a few months · Editorial, as our wrist guides keep forearm work going

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Move on when: Your usual pull-up sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks. Then add weighted pull-ups (the weighted pull-up page asks for ten strict pull-ups first), kipping, false-grip work and muscle-ups one at a time. If a session flares it, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

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

What to change for now

Your pull-up for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show your grip, where the bar sits in your hand or your wrist angle. These steps come from the site's pull-up guides, X-ray, cadaver and lab studies of healthy people, a hospital handout and the move pages; no trial has tested a change to the pull-up for wrist pain, and each step names its source or says it is our suggestion.

1. Grip by side: for the little-finger side, neutral handles or rings first, then chin-ups, overhand last; for the thumb side, overhand with a firm, not crushing, grip and thumbs-up handles last (our reading of X-ray and cadaver studies; no one has measured the wrist on a pull-up bar).
2. Width: hands about shoulder-width apart, as the site's pull-up and chin-up guides teach; a wide grip loaded the shoulder 7% more in a lab study.
3. Thumbs round the bar: the site's chin-up guide says a full grip is more secure than a thumbless one.
4. The bar in your hand: across the base of the fingers and the top of the palm, the wrist in line with the forearm, rather than letting the bar roll into your fingertips (our suggestion).
5. Squeeze firmly, not as hard as you can: a maximal grip moved the ulna towards the wrist on X-ray, and the NHS says don't grip anything too tightly while your wrist is sore.
6. Straps: lifting straps for pulldowns, rows and heavy carries if gripping hurts. They take the grip out but don't change the wrist's angle (editorial).
7. The false grip, kipping and muscle-ups: leave them until stage 3 passes. The false grip hangs the wrist bent over the ring, and its move page says sharp wrist pain means the grip is wrong or the dose is too high.
8. Volume: halve your pulling and hanging for a week or two, stop sets 2 or 3 reps short of failure, and leave a day between hard pulling sessions (our suggestion, as in our elbow pull-up guide); a hospital handout advises against training any exercise to failure.
9. Skin: chalk, and file calluses so they don't catch and tear (editorial).

Sources 6, 7, 8, 5, 43, 17

Everyday life and sport (written steps)

Our suggestions unless a source is named.

1. Daily use: the NHS says keep your hands and wrists moving with gentle exercises, don't lift heavy objects or grip anything too tightly, take off jewellery if your hand looks swollen, and don't use heat for the first 2 to 3 days after an injury.
2. Don't rest it completely: for repetitive strain, the NHS says resting for more than a few days can make the area weaker and less flexible.
3. Carrying shopping: split the load between two bags, with the handles in your palm rather than your fingers.
4. Climbing and bouldering: easier routes and no campus board for now, as our elbow pull-up guide suggests; hangboard work comes back last, in small steps, as a climbing trial added load (1.25 kg once a 10-second hold was managed).
5. Gymnastics, calisthenics and CrossFit: strict pulls before kipping, the false grip and muscle-ups, and gymnastic grips that fit, checked regularly, as our gymnast's wrist guide advises.
6. Sleep: a wrist splint at night if it helps, which the NHS suggests for wrist pain and for carpal tunnel symptoms.

Sources 17, 20, 44, 36

Splints, injections and specialist care

A splint that holds the thumb and wrist, sometimes with a steroid injection, for de Quervain's; non-surgical care first for a TFCC tear in a stable wrist; a night splint for carpal tunnel symptoms, worn for up to 6 weeks, the NHS says; and most ganglions get better without treatment. A broken scaphoid follows its own fracture care.

Sources 39, 38, 19, 20

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Overhand pull-ups with little-finger-side pain	A palm-down hard grip moved the ulna furthest towards the wrist on X-ray (the link to pain is our reading).	Neutral handles or rings: neutral-grip pulldowns, then V-bar pull-ups.Try: V-bar pull-up
Thumbs-up (neutral) handles with thumb-side pain	The move pages say leave thumb-up and pinch work with de Quervain's.	An overhand pulldown, shoulder-width.Try: Shoulder-width lat pulldown
Straight-bar chin-ups with pain along the back of the little-finger side	Fully palm up with the wrist bent towards the little finger strains the ECU tendon, the site's curl guidance says.	Rings or neutral handles that let the hands turn.Try: V-bar pull-up
Wide-grip pull-ups	No wrist data, but a wide grip loads the shoulder more and adds nothing for the wrist (our reading).	A shoulder-width grip.Try: Pull-up
False-grip work, kipping and muscle-ups	Fast or bent-wrist loading; the false-grip move page says sharp wrist pain means the grip is wrong or the dose too high.	Strict band-assisted pull-ups.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
Long dead hangs, towel hangs and fat grips	Hanging loads the grip heavily, and thick grips raised forearm work and cut reps in a lab study.	Carries first, short hangs later.Try: Farmer's carry
Squeezing the bar as hard as you can on every rep	A maximal grip moved the ulna towards the wrist, and the NHS says don't grip tightly while it's sore.	A firm grip, with straps for pulldowns and rows.
Pull-up challenges, sets to failure and hundreds of reps	Sudden jumps in load, and rarely a breakdown of muscle after a huge session.	Sets stopped 2 or 3 reps short of failure.
Weighted pull-ups while it's sore	More load through the grip before the wrist has settled (our suggestion).	Band-assisted, then bodyweight pull-ups.Try: Band-assisted pull-up
Training through pain at the base of the thumb after a fall from the bar	A broken scaphoid can hide on the first X-ray.	Stop and get it checked the same day.
Training through tingling in the fingers	That is a nerve, not a muscle.	Rows and pulldowns that don't bring it on, and a GP if it lasts.Try: Band row
Resting the wrist completely for weeks	The NHS says keep your hands and wrists moving, and resting a strain for more than a few days makes it weaker.	The stage 1 moves.Try: Wrist & forearm flow

Routines to follow

Pull-up progression workout

Work up to your first pull-up: dead hangs, scapular pulls, rows, negatives and assisted pull-ups.

25 minBeginner7 movesPull-up bar, A step

First pull-up workout

Train for your first pull-up: hangs, shoulder-blade pulls, rows, band- or machine-assisted pull-ups, slow negatives and grip work in one session.

30 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, 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

Wrist and forearm routine

Wrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.

10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbell

Dead hang progression workout: supported hangs to 60 seconds

Build a longer, steadier dead hang: shoulder and wrist warm-up, supported then full hangs, active hangs, then carries and wrist curls for your grip.

20 minBeginner9 movesPull-up bar, A step

Climbing warm-up

A 15-minute climbing warm-up: easy movement, shoulder and hip mobility, wrist and finger glides, scapular pulls, then hangs of 5, 10 and 20 seconds.

15 minBeginner9 movesPull-up bar, A band

Back workout (gym)

A gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.

45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A band

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why do my wrists hurt when I do pull-ups?

Your fingers and forearm hold your whole weight on the bar, so a sore wrist usually means the grip, the volume or the bar is asking too much for now. Where it hurts is the best clue: the little-finger side often points to the TFCC or the tendon beside it, the thumb side to de Quervain's. Change the grip and cut the volume before stopping altogether.

Why does my wrist hurt on the pinky side when I do pull-ups?

Gripping hard with the palm down moves the forearm bone on that side towards the wrist, loading the cartilage cushion there (the TFCC) and the tendon beside it. Try neutral handles or rings, then chin-ups, and keep that side to about 3 out of 10. See a GP or physiotherapist if it clicks, feels unstable or isn't settling after 2 weeks.

Why does the thumb side of my wrist hurt?

Pain at the base of the thumb, worse gripping hard, often points to de Quervain's. Thumbs-up handles and pinching tend to aggravate it, so pull overhand with a firm, not crushing, grip for now. After a fall from the bar, that spot needs a same-day check for a broken scaphoid.

Are chin-ups easier on the wrists than pull-ups?

For the little-finger side they often are, because turning the palm up moves the ulna away from the wrist; that is our reading of X-ray studies, not something tested on a bar. On a straight bar, though, fully palm-up hands can strain the tendon along the back of the little-finger side, so rings or neutral handles may suit you better.

Should I use straps or wrist wraps for pull-ups?

No study has tested either for wrist pain. Straps take the grip out of pulldowns, rows and carries but don't change your wrist's angle, so use them as a short-term aid while the forearm work in the plan builds strength.

Is the false grip bad for my wrists?

It isn't bad, but it hangs the wrist bent over the ring, and its move page warns that the wrist adapts slowly and that sharp pain means the grip or the dose is wrong. Leave it, and muscle-ups, until strict pull-ups pass the pain rule.

Can I keep doing pull-ups with a sore wrist?

Usually, changed: the grip that passes the pain rule, hands about shoulder-width, sets stopped short of failure and pulldowns or rows for volume. Stop and get it checked for pain after a fall, a click with weakness, swelling or tingling that stays.

Why do my hands hurt after pull-ups?

Usually the skin: calluses and blisters from the bar, which chalk, filing calluses and fewer high-rep sets help. Tingling in the fingers is different: it is a nerve, and it needs a GP if it lasts.

Do dead hangs help or hurt wrist pain?

Hanging loads the grip heavily, as the bar hang's move page warns, so long hangs come back after carries and short hangs pass the pain rule. Grip and forearm training raised pull-up reps most in a trial of inactive men, but that measured performance, not pain.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not at first: the NHS starts with home care and a GP if it isn't better after 2 weeks. After a fall with pain in the hollow at the base of the thumb you need an X-ray and follow-up, because about 1 in 5 scaphoid fractures are missed on the first X-ray.

How long will it take?

No one can promise a date. The NHS expects home care for about 2 weeks before a GP check; in climbers with wrist injuries, two thirds had healed and a third had some discomfort 2 or more years later, mostly without surgery.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 or go to A&E for a wrist that is out of shape, numb or cold after a fall, or if a grip catches on the bar and the forearm is hurt. Get a same-day check for pain at the base of the thumb after a fall, a hot, swollen wrist, lost feeling in your hand, or a pop at the front of the elbow with a bulge. See a GP if it isn't better after 2 weeks or you have tingling; in the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise 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.

When to get help first

Get urgent medical help if

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Where does it hurt?

Understand it

What a pull-up asks of the wrist, and what no study has measuredEmerging evidence

What palm-down gripping does to the wristEmerging evidence

Where it hurts, and how common each cause is

Who gets itEmerging evidence

Rarer and serious

When a scan or test mattersStrong evidence

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Changing the grip: lab studies in healthy people, not treatment trialsEmerging evidence

Choosing the grip by the side that hurts: our readingEmerging evidence

Forearm and grip strength: performance gains, borrowed for rehabEmerging evidence

The little-finger side: non-surgical care firstEmerging evidence

The thumb side: splints and injections carry the evidenceStrong evidence

Braces, wraps and straps: untested for pull-upsMixed evidence

A fall from the bar: the first X-ray can miss a broken scaphoidStrong evidence

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within half an hour, no worse the next morning; about 3 out of 10 on the little-finger sideEmerging evidence

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Keep pulling without the painful grip

Load the forearm and rebuild the hang

Back to the bar

What to change for now

Your pull-up for now (written steps)

Everyday life and sport (written steps)

Splints, injections and specialist care

Positions to swap, and why

Routines to follow

Pull-up progression workout

First pull-up workout

Grip strength workout: squeezes, curls, carries and hangs

Wrist and forearm routine

Dead hang progression workout: supported hangs to 60 seconds

Climbing warm-up

Back workout (gym)

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources