People here will tell you that everything is individual.. Having said that, I find that when I pull hard I feel a slight burn, but no pain. Afterward I do feel tender; it’s more of an ache and definitely not painful. I think heat is a very important factor in the recovery process.
In my opinion I feel that stretching is straight forward - you feel the tug. On the other hand, jelqing really takes some time to figure out. It took me a while to find the right grip, speed, erection level, and pressure.
Cut back a bit on jelqing, or switch. If you are wet jelqing, try dry jelqing (but cut back). Also, I remember reading a post some time back about someone stating that they benefited from fast jelqs. I gave it a whirl and it does have a place in my routine.
Right now I’m on a decon, maintenance break. I did the newbie routine from March till the beginning of June and gained 3/4” BPEL. That was half assed as far as I’m concerned. I work 60-70 hours a week and being dedicated has a certain meaning to me, so I tend to be hard on myself. Yes, pun intended.