Thermography in physiotherapy

11th June 2024

What is thermography?
Thermography in physiotherapy, how does it work?
Pathologies observable with thermography
Thermography with Tcell System
Would you like more information?

What is thermography?

Thermography comes from the Greek words “thermòs” heat + “gràph” to write, so we can say that it literally means “heat writing”. It comprehends the acquisition and analysis of thermal information without contact. The infrared thermographyis a fast investigation method and nowadays it is widespread for evaluation, identification, and control activities on inflammatory conditions or thermal alterations, even in the physiotherapy field. Thermographic investigation is an exceptional method to acquire precious information useful for targeted evaluations. As a matter of fact, this technique allows us to observe the thermal radiation released by an object or body at a temperature above absolute zero (-273,14°C).

Thermography in physiotherapy, how does it work?

Thermography allows the physiotherapist to identify the area to be treated thanks to the image generated by its camera. The color differences, which correspond to the temperature differences of that part of the body, help to localize and define the entity of the inflammation. This is an exam completely free from side effects, painless, noninvasive, easy to perform, and free from harmful radiation.

This kind of exam is useful in different situations, for example, for sports evaluation and prevention; to have an immediate evaluation; to monitor the treatment and the patient recovery; to localize the targeted intervention points, and for the return to sport or the everyday motor activity.

Pathologies observable with thermography

In addition, thermography, by providing color images as a result, allows us to view the status of a given condition affecting the patient. The image shows the distribution of temperatures over the part of the body being analyzed and highlights the temperature differences. Moreover, thermography perfectly complements all other methods of analysis and observation to provide an even more detailed clinical picture of the patient.

Thermography can be used to monitor:

muscle strain or injuries;
tendinitis (rotator cuff, epicondylitis, patellar tendinopathy etc);
joint conditions, such as patellofemoral disease, sprains, etc.;
osteoarticular inflammatory and degenerative diseases (arthritis and arthrosis);
the posture of the patient.

Thermography with Tcell System

By using the heat emitted by the body as infrared electromagnetic radiation, Tcell System portable thermography aids the therapist’s identification of different tissue types and ongoing inflammatory processes. The correct interpretation of these images adds significant physiological data. Furthermore, the system includes an infrared camera and powerful, user-friendly software for producing and processing thermal images, developed specifically for its use in physiotherapy.