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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 8 Volume III, Issue II November 15, 2000 Relationships and Time By Janet Hoff mann Today as I rest while my twin twoyear-old grandsons are napping, I realize I’m . . . old! I used to be able to keep up with my seven children just fine. But today, two two-year-olds did me in. I don’t remember ever becoming this tired chasing my own children. Last Saturday we were celebrating our dear friend’s 30th wedding anniversary (these days that is really something to celebrate). I was talking with a friend I hadn’t seen for quite sometime. We were discussing how as our children get older they think we have more time than we used to when they were smaller. They believe this extra time on our hands should be spent in helping them. After all, they are busy with work, school, etc. and we don’t have anything pressing. In my mind there is a few problems with this logic. First, we are older and have less energy. Second, and even more important, is the fact that as we get older our lives fill up with more and more relationships. I’m 48 years old and when I count my close family relationships, I find I have 73 people that are close relatives and very much a part of my life. Now I understand that most people don’t have a family the size of mine but still, most people’s number of relationships increases over the years. Then, if I include more distant relatives—friends, people I associate with in my jobs, community, church, etc—I find that this really is a lot of relationships to maintain. Maybe the house doesn’t get as dirty as it used to, and jobs that come with raising children lessen but the time we spend in our important relationships increases—as they should. What’s more important than our relationships? Yesterday as I was helping my father walk, supporting him with one hand while holding my granddaughter’s hand with the other, and my daughter standing behind us waiting to get into the bathroom, I realized we had four generations standing together. What a blessing this is to me. It does make for more relationships, and I have less time, but do I care? No—I just wish I had more time to spend with all my loved ones. As Thanksgiving draws nigh I hope we all take the time for those most important relationships. Sorry kids you’ll have to do your own work—we’re busy doing a very important work too. Subscriptions available for out of area residents at $15.00 annually. Send payment with mailing address to: THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS P O BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 801-745-4000 2555 WOLF CREEK DRIVE EDEN, UTAH STORE HOURS: MON. - SAT. 7 AM - 10 PM SUNDAY 7 AM - 9 PM REMEMBER TO USE your Pricebusters for your Thanksgiving Turkeys. Save on a Norbest Grade A fresh or frozen turkey now! Taking orders for fresh turkeys. Call early for the exact size you need. Ask for Rod 745-4000 Farr Ice Cream 5 Qt. $3.99 with coupon Limit 1 per coupon Expires 11/30/00 Ice or Heat, Which to Use Following an Injury By Dr. Lew Harper Many people understand the principles of first aid and the benefits that the body receives by utilizing them in a quick and efficient manner. Many others perform what they think is first aid and in reality can be damaging and can hinder the healing processes of the body. Understanding not only what to do after an injury, but what is actually happening during the treatments will help each of us know what to use and when to use it. The first thing we are going to cover is what to do following a stress type injury. These can include sprains or strains (pulled muscles). An acronym to remember following an injury like this is RICE. This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. The area of injury should be rested so more damage is not created following the injury. Ice is used to slow down the inflammation process and prevent abnormal pressures from building up around the joint. If the internal pressure of the joint is increased too high, surrounding tissues and nerves can be compressed and damaged resulting in prolonged recovery time. Compression is used to aid in preventing swelling in the surrounding tissues of the joint. The joint should also be elevated to allow excess fluids to flow away from the area of injury. The most common question asked about icing an injured area is how long to use it. When icing an injured area, the cold compress should not be left on for more than 20 minutes every 2 hours. When ice is used for prolonged periods of time the skin and underlying tissues can become frozen and the frostbite process can begin. By limiting the use of ice to 20 minutes every 2 hours, it gives the tissues a chance to recover and return to normal. Within the first 24-36 hours following an injury, ice should be the only thing used on the injured area. Following the first 36 hours a contrast treatment can be started. Contrast treatments involve alternating heat and cold over a short period of time. Throughout my practice, I’ve found that the most effective method consists of icing the area for four minutes, then using heat for two minutes, ice for two minutes; heat for two minutes and so on for a total of 20 minutes of treatment time, ending with heat. Once again this treatment should be performed once every two hours allowing the tissues to return to their normal state. Joints of the body get the most therapeutic benefit (nutrients in and waste products out) by motion of the joint itself. However, following an injury, excess motion can do more damage and/or increase the pain in the area. By using this type of treatment you create a kind of internal pump. By using the ice you make the blood vessels constrict moving blood away from the area and carrying waste products, produced by the healing process, with it. By using heat you dilate the vessels and increase the flow of blood to the area, thus carrying nutrients to the injured tissues. By alternating heat and ice, the blood is moved more efficiently in and out of the healing tissues, speeding up the healing process. This type of treatment can be used from 3672 hours following the injury. After 72 hours have past since the injury was experienced, heat can be used by itself. The function of heat is to increase the flow of blood to an area. Heat is most commonly used to decrease muscle spasms and ease tightness. However, when experiencing what is believed to be a tight muscle from excess exercise and/or work, more often than not inflammation is also present and should be treated with ice in the beginning. If you are unsure of what type of injury you have experienced, the safest and most effective treatments should always start with ice. Ice will never increase damage to an injured area if these guidelines are followed. Heat, on the other hand, can increase the chances of producing more problems within the injured area. |