RICE and PRICE

 

I believe in ice therapy. Ice reduces pain and swelling, prevents inflammation after a fall, and might cancel the need to go to the ER. I sometimes apply ice even when logic tells me warmth will be more effective. Logic tells one thing, experience tells another. In certain cases it's possible to have both, alternate cold and warm for the best result.

Of course, one has to be patient and careful about applying ice, in order to avoid frostbite (caused by ice applied directly on the skin),  allergies, or worsen existing pain. Icing session between intervals, should be limited to  10- 20 minutes to avoid tissue damage.

I keep several cold gel packs in the freezer, and that serves me well. I've seen on Amazon site ,though, some devices for knee and shoulder ice therapy, that might be worth buying, just in case.

My first major use of ice occured several years ago after I fell  on my arm, on the pavement. and got my right shoulder badly hurt.  I decided not to lose  time by going to get medical help, but reach home, and start immediately applying ice  to reduce the throbbing pain and prevent inflammation.

I went to the doctor  two weeks after the fall, pain free and able to use my right arm, though with some degree of restriction. The ultrasound revealed only a tiny fissure for which I was prescribed physiotherapy for four weeks, twice a week.

Back to the title of the post - two wise little words indicating  at-home treatment for injuries:

RICE = rest, ice, compression, elevation ;  PRICE = protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation.

Named After

 Naming and renaming  of streets is quite a vast subject! I wasn't aware of that till recently when we were faced with a 'hot' controversy regarding the naming of a street after a living person.

Usually, streets are named in honor of distinguished people after their death. However, as it happens with everything else, pressure is present here too: pressure from politicians and from ethnical groups that wish to make sure they're not forgotten, ignored, or discriminated. So, naming after a living person is probably no longer a taboo, but not popular either. (I myself am against naming after a living person).

Streets/roads are often named after trees (especially in rural areas), vital occupations and professions,  famous institutions,  historical/archeological sites and events. Still, naming after human figures is the most popular. The emphasis used to be on heads of state, scientists, writers, explorers, war heroes.  Nowadays, there's a tendency to include more celebrities from the culturally entertaining world (singers, composers, actors etc...).

The city or district council is responsible for naming streets and placing adequate signage. I guess it's quite a 'headache': debates on the various proposals, decisions on the signs to be displayed, dealing with opposition  of residents or other factors of interest in the respective area etc.. Well, someone has to do it, and it's the local authorities' doing from start to finish.

Our standard sign is written in two languages: Hebrew and Arabic, and employ three scripts: hebrew, arabic, latin.

Here's an example: Bialik street sign.( Bialik was a famous israeli poet).

Que Sera Sera

On the 1st of November we had general elections (five rounds of voting in three and a half years!!). Nothing to write home about. As expected (by me, at least), it went from bad to worse. (the results, I mean).

What happened? Well, Democracy got hijacked by demograpy and religiosity. The winners were the right wing party with its natural allies of extreme religious factions.

So, secular and traditional way of life are under threath. 

It's all man-made and local. No point in blaming God or foreign factors. It's not temporary either, as people would like to believe.The winners have obtained a solid majority of mandates which will enable them to set up a steady government.

At my age, I don't plan relocation.  Besides, things look pretty bad  everywhere in this divisive world.  So,  que sera, sera, as the song goes, whatever will be, will be.

Anyway, the concept of Democracy has to be reviewed and revised. It has sadly become  a big farce in many countries.

Our so called democracy is going to be controlled by the orthodox who actually form a state within a state contributing almost nothing  useful to the wellfare of the country; using all its resources but giving nothing in return.

Go Cognitive

The other day, I was reading  about a  new supplement  named 'StayIn' (stay in), introduced by the  israeli startup company Biomind and meant to boost cognitive function. It is made up of seven ingredients among them vitamin B6, vitamin B12, karnitin, rhodiola.

As a retired, third age person, in fear of cognitive decline associated with the aging process (memory loss, dementia), it caught my attention. 

So far, all I did was to look for mind stimulating activities.

I don't  mean all those 'word and mind games' (sudoku,  crosswords, puzzles, etc..). I personally prefer practicalities that help me in my every day  life - like learning to fix things in the house or with the computer. In this way, I also don't get dependent on others. 

Luckily, there are written guides as well as online videos that can teach us  things, and do wonders to our mental skills.

Among some of the more known ways of  improving cognitive ability are : learning a foreign language, learning to play a musical instrument,  memorizing texts/ poems, focusing on specific activities that are supposed to contribute to our health (meditation, yoga). 

(Reading fiction and watching TV  are activities that mostly entertain me and /or help me escape daily worries, but I feel they do little to 'sharpen' my mind).

Writing, as opposed to reading is a more efficient form of stimulating the brain, especially writing in a language that is not one's native language, and so requires more mental effort. I say this from personal experience as both Hebrew and English are not my first language. 

The blog helps me 'catch two birds with one hand': writing (exposing facts and views) , and preserving my knowledge of English which is an acquired language for me.