And You Thought Carpel Tunnel Was A Problem?

What about overuse of thumbs from repetitive texting?

According to the Newark Star Ledger, as the sizes and prices of handheld typing devices continue to shrink, some U.S. doctors and physical therapists are urging consumers to treat their on-the-go text messaging as they would any physical workout.

Yep, that means pre-text stretching to prevent swollen thumb tendons and cramped and stiff fingers, they say. Thumb-stabilizer splints may help assuage this Carpal Tunnel-type ailment, which doctors also treat with anti-inflammatory medicine and physical therapy.

"If I tell you to run a marathon and you're not in shape for it, you'd think I'm crazy," says Jules Steimnitz, a San Francisco physiatrist who treats repetitive stress injuries. But when it comes to text messaging, "people don't know what they can and can't do. People don't think of it as an activity using the muscles and tendons and ligaments."

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