For Some, Thumb Pain Is BlackBerry's Stain

White House staff members who accompanied President Bush to a speaking engagement in Lancaster, Pa., last week -- from left, Karl Rove, Joe Hagin and Stephen Hadley -- check information on their BlackBerrys. (Michael Robinson-chavez -- The Washington Post)

"Tendinitis won't affect your teenage son the way it will a parent," Hirsch said. "Children are more tolerant of overuse than adults because they are younger."

XBox includes a "Healthy Gaming Guide" message on its Web site, encouraging users to be aware of pain when they overuse the video game device: "When playing video games, as with many activities, you may experience occasional discomfort in your hands, arms, shoulders, neck or other parts of your body. However, if you experience symptoms such as persistent or recurring discomfort, pain, throbbing, aching, tingling, numbness, burning sensation, or stiffness, DO NOT IGNORE THESE WARNING SIGNS. PROMPTLY SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL."

However, a British researcher of cyber culture, Sadie Plant, found that teenagers and young adults throughout the world are becoming so adept at using their thumbs for messaging, they have started to use them for ringing doorbells and pointing.

Japanese teenagers are sometimes called "the thumb generation" because of their heavy-duty messaging. Plant has said that teens use their thumbs more than index fingers, making them faster and more muscled.

Hirsch, who said he has seen at least a couple of patients with injuries related to their PDA or thumb keyboard, said he tells patients to send short answers on the devices. "Many people who are traveling use their BlackBerry to save them time," he said. "Thumbs were not designed for individuals to do this without certain limits. I'm not sure why some people have trouble with it and some don't. Some people are going to be more sensitive to this product."

Workplace injuries in white-collar jobs have grown with the widespread use of mobile communications technology. It used to be that worker's compensation was reserved mostly for blue-collar workers who smashed fingers in heavy machinery or fell off ladders. Factory workers complained for years of what were then mysterious ailments -- carpal tunnel, tendinitis and "trigger finger." Today, those injuries have spread across cubicle-land.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ergonomic disorders are the fastest-growing category of work-related illnesses for which it receives reports. In 1981, only 18 percent of all reported illnesses were repetitive strain injuries, known as RSI. By 1992, that figure had grown to 52 percent.

That number has leveled off, said Emil Pascarelli, author of "Dr. Pascarelli's Complete Guide to Repetitive Strain Injury: What You Need to Know About RSI and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" and professor emeritus of clinical medicine at Columbia University.

He attributes the change to companies and employees becoming more knowledgeable about setting up a work station to prevent injuries. However, with the onslaught of tiny handheld devices, Pascarelli said there is a "potential for an epidemic" for new repetitive strain injuries. "These new devices are really introducing a new potential injury issue. I think it has the potential for being an explosive issue in the next few years," he said.

Boyd is trying to wean herself from her BlackBerry by writing fewer and shorter messages. "I was writing treatises on my BlackBerry," she said. "I have to not bring it with me. Because if it's near me, I'm not always so good about not using it."

Keltner, who found similar strategies didn't work, has gone cold turkey. "No more BlackBerry. I'm breaking the addiction," she said. "But I'm frustrated. I'm making more phone calls. . . . I hate not being efficient."