The role of infrared thermography in diagnosis and management of pain

Infrared thermal imaging (ITG) is a sensitive test. It's use is limited to diagnosis of the thermal function of the sympathetic system. It objectively identified areas of sympathetic nerve damage (usually hyperthermic) or partial sympathetic nerve dysfunction (usually hypothermic). As is the case with all other diagnostic tests, it does not diagnose a disease, but it helps identify the nature of nerve dysfunction responsible for pain. In neuropathic pain syndromes-such as RSD-thermographic testing is more sensitive than scintigraphic bone scan. Thermography requires impeccable technique to exclude artifactual false positive results. Thermography is instrumental in accurate evaluation of the nerve dysfunction and in avoidance of unnecessary surgery and other invasive procedures. It is instrumental in separating pain with simple emotional connotation vs neuropathic pain causing disturbance of the limbic system and emotional disturbance. This test helps the clinician to manage the pain more properly.