The picture I have chosen is a picture I took in Cyprus on my last vacation, and it represent how heat can be used as pain relief for patients with long term or chronic pain. In Norway we have great variations in our climate with both polar climate in the mountains and by the coast in Finnmark and temperate climate in the main land(Store Norske Leksikon, Klima i Norge). In Norway we have long winters and short summers compared to southern countries. During the winter the temperature can variate from 0 degrees Celsius to -15 degrees Celsius, and in the summer it can variate from approximately 10 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius(Yr.no, Været som var, Oslo (Blindern)).
A lot of people with long term or chronic pain experience that heat causes pain relief. The research on this field is limited, but in this intervention review they document moderate evidence that heat therapy reduces pain for people with low back-pain(French, Walker, Reggars & Easterman, 2011). Because of the variation in the climate in Norway a lot of long term pain-patients choose to travel to other countries with a warmer climate, especially in the winter. A lot of health institutions organizes treatment programs in warmer countries. The treatment programs consists of treatment that is diagnosis specific(Forskrift om behandlingsreiser i utlandet, 2018, §2-5) and it is only offered as a supplement to treatment in Norway and it is not a right for everyone(Oslo Universitetssykehus, (u.å), Behandlingsreiser)
To be granted the treatment program you have to be diagnosed with chronic inflammatory rheumatic joint disease, post-polio syndrome, psoriasis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, chronic lung disease, atopic eczema or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(Forskrift om behandlingsreiser i utlandet, 2018, §2-5). This offer excludes people with for example fibromyalgia, which many people think is ashamed because many of these people responds well with warmth as pain relief.
We are very lucky in Norway and we have a very good health system. This is a great offer for people with long term or chronic pain, and a lot of people appreciate this opportunity. To this date the treatment program excludes people with some diagnoses, but maybe one day these people will also get this opportunity.
References
Dannevig, Petter & Harstveit, Knut. (2019, 22. mars). klima i Norge. I Store norske leksikon. Hentet 1. mai 2019 fra https://snl.no/klima_i_Norge
French, S.D., Cameron, M., Walker, B.F., Reggars, J.W. & Esterman, A.J. (2011). Superficial heat or cold for low back pain (Review). Hentet fra: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004750.pub2/epdf/abstract
Forskrift om behandlingsreiser til utlandet(klimareiser). (2018). (FOR-2017-06-16-749). Hentet fra: https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2017-06-16-749
Oslo Universitetssykehus, (u.å). Behandlingsreiser. Hentet fra: https://oslo-universitetssykehus.no/avdelinger/direktorens-stab/stab-fag-pasientsikkerhet-og-samhandling/avdeling-for-samhandling/behandlingsreiser#les-mer-om-behandlingsreiser
Yr.no, (2007-2019). Været som var, Oslo (Blindern). Hentet fra: https://www.yr.no/sted/Norge/Oslo/Oslo/Oslo_(Blindern)_målestasjon/statistikk.html
One thought on “Engan, Nora – Heat as pain relief”
I like the abstract way in which you interpreted the picture and linked it to a relevant clinical scenario.
The topic is well summed up and links to the task and the overall flow of the task is well done.
The photo and the text are clearly related, and the information and research are well laid out.
Here are some suggestions that might be helpful:
Maybe include a more detailed structure in terms of how the patient feels when receiving heat therapy rather than placing most of the emphasis on the different types of weather as that is the main aim of the task.
Consider separating the reflective part of the task from the evidence part as I noticed that they overflow throughout the task. The essay is easy to grasp but maybe you could try to present your knowledge claims in a logical order.
Also, although the references are in another language it is hard to determine their strength they are properly cited.
Lastly, your writing is grammatically correct with good spelling and I especially enjoyed learning about how heat therapy reduces pain in patients. Overall good effort.