My doctor laughed when I told him I had “iPod finger.”

It woke me in the middle of the night, a throbbing pain so severe at the base of my right index finger it felt as if it were broken — except I wasn’t drunk and I hadn’t fallen out of bed.

What I had done, however, was spend hours on the laptop stroking the mouse pad and punching the “right-click” button, scrolling endlessly through my 8,000 and growing iTunes playlists. Then, for fun’s sake, I spun my finger ’round and ’round the wheel making sure every song was in its perfect place.

Doc chuckled, suggesting I ought to coin a more personalized name for my self-diagnosed malady.

However, to the American Society of Hand Therapists, “iPod finger,” as well as BlackBerry thumb, is no laughing matter.

Repetitive stress injuries, and carpal tunnel syndrome, are no longer the domain of typists, laptop users or video game junkies.

The Chicago-based group has issued an alert to users of the increasingly popular handheld gadgets to be aware of overuse injuries.

AVOID THE PAIN
• Use a neutral grip when holding the device — meaning the wrist is straight, not bent.
• Take a break every hour. Overuse of repetitive motions can cause tendinitis or lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Place pillows in your lap and rest your arms on them. This allows you to keep your head in a more upright position and decrease neck strain.
• Any old chair won’t do. Sit in a chair that allows you to put your feet on the floor and provides good back support.
• Ambidextrous is a good thing. Switch hands frequently.

No-sweat exercises
ASHT recommends the following hand and wrist exercises to reduce the risk of injuries when using handheld electronics.
Hold each movement for 10 seconds and do eight repetitions.
• Fold your hands together and turn your palms away from your body as you extend your arms forward. You should feel a stretch from your shoulders to your fingers.
• Fold your hands together and turn your palms away from your body, but this time extend your arms overhead. You should feel the stretch in your upper torso and shoulders to hand.
• Place your hand just above the back of the elbow and gently push your elbow across your chest toward the opposite shoulder. This stretches the upper back and shoulder.
• Raise one arm overhead. Bend the elbow. Place the opposite hand on the bent elbow and gently push the elbow back further. This stretches the triceps. Don’t forget to do both sides on the latter two exercises.