Enhancing Musculoskeletal Healthcare through Mobile Application-Integrated Infrared Thermography: A Promising Approach for Diagnosis and Monitoring

Abstract

Musculoskeletal injuries, encompassing conditions affecting muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints, pose significant diagnostic and treatment challenges, often requiring subjective assessments by healthcare providers. In this study, an innovative approach was employed using infrared imaging technology integrated with a mobile application to enhance objective assessment, particularly during massage therapy. Thermal imaging captures of patients' backs during pre- and post-therapy sessions were conducted via the developed app to identify abnormal temperature patterns indicative of underlying conditions. This novel method of diagnosis offers a departure from traditional subjective assessments by providing quantitative thermal data for analysis. The utilization of deep learning algorithms and thermal image processing techniques further facilitated data management and analysis, offering a more precise diagnostic approach. The application's diagnostic capabilities, coupled with its ability to streamline data management, distinguish it from conventional diagnostic methods, offering potential advancements in musculoskeletal injury diagnosis and treatment. This paper elucidates the methods employed, highlights the observed results, underscores the potential of integrating advanced technologies for musculoskeletal injury diagnosis and treatment, and provides a brief overview of musculoskeletal injuries to contextualize the study.