This may have been out for a while, but I’ve finally found a name for the discomfort and pain that some people have in their thumb. If you use a handheld device and use your thumb a lot, you may have “Texting Thumb,” also known as “SMS Thumb” or “iPod Thumb Syndrome.”

One definition:

Repetitive use of your thumb, in a manner that it was not originally created to be used. Continued misuse can cause pain, numbness, enlarged thumb syndrome (ETS), and possibly amputation. Sometimes misdefined as “Irritable Thumb Syndrome.”

For those of us that have had carpal tunnel syndrome, imagining this type of injury on the thumb is depressing. Be careful! This post provides 3 ways to avoid this syndrome for iPod users:

• Use Manual iPod shuffling for individual folders
• Create the Uultimate Playlist
• If addicted to your iPod, seek professional help

[from Brandon-Hopkins.com]