Medical Thermography is a useful diagnostic tool in the differential diagnosis of neuromusculoskeletal injuries and their prognosis in preparation for the return to participation and/or competition.

Its uses include:

• Monitoring the healing process and response to prescribed treatments.
• Visualizing pain.
• Monitoring training regimes to detect early warning signs of over training - used as a preventative method.
• Localizing an abnormal area not previously identified, so further diagnostic tests can be performed.

It is useful for, but not limited to, the diagnosis and evolution of the following:

• epicondylitis
• patellofemoral syndromes
• ankle injuries
• shin splints
• stress fractures
• myofascial pain syndromes
• spinal pain syndromes 
• shoulder injuries
• foot pain syndromes
• vascular disorders

One of Medical Thermography's biggest contributions to sports medicine is in the detection of the post traumatic pain syndromes of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (complex regional pain syndrome) and sympathetic maintained pain syndromes which can occur after minimal injury.

These have traditionally been difficult to diagnose. Medical Thermography provides an invaluable window into the autonomic/sympathetic nervous system, which records via somatocutaneous reflex, the sympathetic response to pain and injury.

Since it is non-invasive, risk free, and relatively portable, thermography is also a very practical tool in the training room and can be used to assess injury and therefor assist clinical decisions.