Health paper advice. Help please

[esunada]

Hi, I'm writing an 8-10 page paper on a health care issue. I wanted to write it on the use and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine to reduce pain and stress in patients. Do you think this topic is to broad or narrow to find information on? If it's too narrow, should I change it to a specific category of alternative medicine (i.e. chinese medicine) or a specific type of patient (i.e. hospitalized, post surgical, and cancer patients)? Or should I only talk about pain and not stress?

Thanks for your advice

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I think that 8-10 pages could incorporate all types of alternative medicine remedies for at least pain. Probably stress too. And then you could discuss the role that stress plays in pain sensitivity!

[roser13, ASN, RN]

p.s. Thanks for providing your own thoughts and THEN asking for suggestions....not just asking for suggestions :)

[SlightlyMental_RN]

I think I would focus on the pain issue instead of including stress.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

I think the entire term "alternative medicine" is too broad. It covers serious, scientifically based treatment like chiropractic to energy healing and quackery. I believe this is one reason for that lack of general support from the government and many medical practitioners. Some alternatives have been proven effective and some not. To lump them together in one category is crazy. I would pick one particular area like you suggested, say acupuncture. And since pain and stress are two different (though sometimes connected) things, you will end up writing two papers. Best of luck.

[GM2RN]

I think the entire term "alternative medicine" is too broad. It covers serious, scientifically based treatment like chiropractic to energy healing and quackery. I believe this is one reason for that lack of general support from the government and many medical practitioners. Some alternatives have been proven effective and some not. To lump them together in one category is crazy. I would pick one particular area like you suggested, say acupuncture. And since pain and stress are two different (though sometimes connected) things, you will end up writing two papers. Best of luck.

I agree that "alternative medicine" is too broad, but I think something like acupuncture might be too narrow for a paper of that length. You might try something like "Eastern Medicine." What you really need to do is search for material on some topics, even acupuncture if that appeals to you, and see if you come up with enough material, or if you would still need to narrow the focus if you searched on something a little more broad. There really isn't any way to know for sure until you do that.

[AgentBeast, MSN, RN]

You could probably write a good length paper on the Efficacy of "Alternative" Therapies in Managing Pain. I can't speak for what kind of credible sources you'll be able to find. However, the topic seems narrow enough.

[iNurseUK, RN]

My unit (oncology) always calls these therapies "Complementary" rather than "Alternative" I think to avoid suggesting that these are curative rather than adjuncts to conventional treatments.

They certainly have a useful role to play. Massage and Aromatherapy seem to be the ones most often requested and patients do report that pain is eased.

I have a colleague who did her BA dissertation on complementary therapies and she got excellent marks. There are plenty of research articles in the nursing journals on this topic.

Good luck with your paper:)

[esunada]

Thanks for the advice so far! I think I might narrow it down then to the use and effectiveness of evidence based complementary eastern medicine to manage pain in patients.

[PediLove2147, BSN, RN]

I did a paper/project on this exact topic when I was in school. Yes it is broad but you can narrow it down as you start to write. We focused on three therapies once we did the research.

[Little Panda RN, ASN, RN]

While I was in school I did mine on"Healing Touch for pain relief". I think it was a seven page paper. I really enjoyed this topic and I got an "A". Find something that you are really passionate about it and it makes writing the paper a whole lot easier.