Wristpain after doing pullups

Question

A while ago I started working towards making my first pullup - I have been doing negatives for quite some time. Recently I decided Ill try to make a pullup, and I did. Over the course of a week or two I got to doing 3-4 pullups in a row, depending on how good a day Im having.

Recently I have been experiencing paint at my wrists. I cant really pinpoint situations in which it hurts, but it tends to be when im using force to keep the wrist straight or when there is a shock to it (for example, throwing a punch at a bag).

Im thinking my tendons and joints might not be ready for the challenges I present to them with my pullups.

What should I do? Should I take a break from pullups? Should I wrap my wrists? Should I go see a doctor? How to prepare my wrists for future exercise?

Answer 1

It sounds like you may have sprained your TFCC. It is one of the most common wrist injuries when it comes to weight training, especially after doing lots and lots of pull-ups or push-ups.

As a sports physical therapist, I would first recommend you to take away all painful activities, yes this includes the punching and doing pull-ups.

Next, you should try to protect your wrist by wrapping it or wearing a wrist brace during weight training over the next 4 weeks or so. You can also substitute bent-over rows and overhand lat pull-down for the pull-ups.

If things don't get better, you should go get it check out either by your orthopedist or by a physical therapist.

For future references, you always want to train proximal stability (rotator cuff and scap stabilizers) for distal mobility. Secondly, you should not try to progress too fast, and in your case, it seems like that may be it. This progression may not be just by doing pull-ups, but also by doing lots and lots of repetitive motion that may cause stress and strain to the wrist (punching, push-ups, gripping and pulling things).

Hope this helps!