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The Hilton and Hyatt hotel chains are now offering guests a treatment for 'BlackBerry Thumb,' that well-known stress injury to the hands - especially the two largest digits - due to over-use of the QWERTY thumb-keyboards found in many of today's smartphones, not just BlackBerrys.

Available at locations throughout North America, Hilton pairs a 30-minute hand massage and heat treatment for $30, while Hyatt is offering a similar massage and heat treatment called the 'BlackBerry Balm' for $80. Both aim to help ease the pain caused by the malady.

"It focuses on counteracting tension on various hand and arm muscles, specifically in the thumbs and overworked wrists," Hyatt said in a statement.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) placed 'BlackBerry Thumb' on its list of official work place maladies a couple of months ago.

Symptoms include pain or numbness in the thumbs, the least dexterous part of the hand, and joints of the hands. Heavy use of keyboards greatly increases the risk of injury. In addition, overuse of these devices can aggravate underlying arthritis, a particular problem for the middle-aged.

A general manager at a Sheraton Chicago Hotel, Rick Ueno, got a handle on his BlackBerry addition, which can often lead to ‘ BlackBerry Thumb’ back in June by trading his handheld in for a traditional cell phone. Without being constantly connected to e-mail and the Web, the manager of 900 employees and thousands of guests said he's more effective, feels better, and his family likes his post-BlackBerry existence.

Spurred to action by his own 'recovery,' he now offers guests at his hotel the option of having their BlackBerrys locked up for the duration of their stays...or at least for a day or two.

Ueno holds the devices securely for no charge and returns them upon request.