Clinical Thermography

Clinical thermography is the detection and recording of a patient's skin surface thermal patterns, using instruments which can provide visual and quantitative documentation of these temperature measurements.

Thermography is appropriate and germane to health care practice whenever the treating physician feels a physiological imaging test is needed for diagnosis. Thermography is a physiologic imaging technology which provides information on the normal and abnormal functioning of the sensory and sympathetic nervous systems, vascular dysfunction, myofascial trauma and local inflammatory processes.

It may contribute to diagnosis and patient management by assisting in determining the site and degree of irritation, the type of functional disorder, the prognosis of treatment, as well as assisting in the determination of the most effective treatment and case evaluation.

Thermography is an acceptable analytical procedure which may be performed by a licensed doctor or under their direct supervision in cases which demonstrate adequate clinical justification; however, a professional holding appropriate credentials with regard to knowledge, skill and experience in thermography must interpret the result.