Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effects in Pain Management Using Infrared Thermal Imaging

적외선 체열촬영을 이용한 통증 치료효과의 평가

Background: Infrared Thermal Imaging (ITI) is an effective tool for the diagnosis of disease and evaluation of the therapeutic effects following pain treatment. Patients who were treated for pain in pain clinic described the intensity of pain and the degree of change of their pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS). In this study, the usefulness of ITI following multimodal methods for pain management were compared with the change of VAS. Methods: 1119 patients were evaluated. The patients were treated with stellate ganglion block, epidural block or trigger points injection. Before treatment, the temperature difference (${\Delta}T$) of the involved area and the corresponding area on the opposite side of the body was measured using ITI and VAS was assessed. After treatment, the temperature difference (${\Delta}T$) between the normal and involved areas, the change of ${\Delta}T$ (${\Delta}dT$), VAS and the change of VAS (${\Delta}VAS$) were measured. Statistic correlations between ${\Delta}dT$and ${\Delta}VAS$ were calculated in all groups. Results: Correlation of the ${\Delta}dT$ and ${\Delta}VAS$ was significant by contingency coefficient test. (SGB group, C = 0.358, Epi group, C = 0.377, TPI group, C = 0.374, P < 0.05) Conclusions: ITI is a reliable tool for the assessment of therapeutic effects following multidimensional management of painful disease.