The Use of Thermography and Its Control Variables: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Muscle injuries are the most frequent cause of physical disability in sports, representing a large percentage of all sports injuries. In high-performance sports in particular, there is great interest in optimizing the process of diagnosis and rehabilitation of muscle injuries in order to reduce the amount of time taken off by athletes due to their injuries. Infrared thermography, or cutaneous thermometry, is a technique used for complementary investigation of pain. It provides thermal imaging with an infrared camera, to measure the surface temperature of the body. Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the use of thermography as a functional evaluation for the identification and prevention of muscle injuries, and of the control variables used in its applicability. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in the MEDLINE, ResearchGate and Scielo databases, using the search terms: “thermography”, “muscle injury”, “rehabilitation” and “diagnosis”, searching on articles published from 2000 to 2017, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The eligibility criteria for the studies was the use of thermography as an outcome, and the reporting of standards for evaluating skin temperature variation in athletes. Results: Following the systematic review, 94 studies were retrieved. Of these, only 12 met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Conclusion: Thermography is a suitable tool for the evaluation and prevention of muscle injuries in athletes, and care should be taken with the control variables during its use. The most efficient variables for capturing the thermographic image appear to be an environment with a temperature of between 18 and 25°C, for 15 minutes for acclimatization, and with the individual placed in a pre-determined position, depending on the body segment being evaluated, without contact with another object. Level of evidence I; Systematic review.

Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial on Arnica Montana 6ch in Muscle Thermal Changes by Isometric Stress in Patients With TMD After Endodontic Procedures

“…Although some previous studies consider thermography an adequate tool for the prevention of muscle injuries 22,23,24 and the data from this study have found a reduction in muscle temperature and absence of symptoms in the presence of medicine Arnica montana 6CH, further studies will be needed to clarify the physiological pathways of these findings.…”

“…21 Thermography was considered an adequate tool for the evaluation and prevention of muscle injuries due to isometric effort, although there is some care with the control variables during its use, such as taking the body temperature in an environment with temperatures between 18 and 25ºC, after a minimum acclimatization of 15 minutes. The infrared method captures the radiation that is radiated by the examined part of the body, basically heat in the form of electromagnetic waves 22 .…”

Utilização da termografia como marcador de treinamento e prevenção de lesões nos esportes: uma revisão sistemática no voleibol

“…A termografia infravermelha ou termometria cutânea é uma técnica utilizada para investigação complementar da dor. Ela apresenta imagens térmicas com uma câmera infravermelho para medira temperatura da superfície do corpo (Viegas et al, 2020).…”