ipod won't unlock

i locked my ipod when i turned it off and when i tried to turn it on again none of the buttons worked. i tried to charge it and when the screen lit up, the lock icon was still there, though the lock switch was in the unlocked position, and the buttons still wouldn't work. i tried plugging it into my computer, and only got the same result. i cannot reset it (because the buttons don't work) and i really don't want to restore my ipod if it can be avoided.
Any other suggestions?