How is Infrared Thermal Imaging Technology Applied in the Field of Sports Rehabilitation?
In the sports industry, peak performance and a faster recovery process are very important for athletes, which promotes the continuous innovation of more effective sports recovery products. As society develops towards a healthier direction, people are beginning to seek new ways to maintain a healthy and positive lifestyle. In other words, everyone has the right and opportunity to use sports rehabilitation services and reduce mobility restrictions due to the frequency of muscle pain.
Infrared thermal imaging technology can quickly measure the temperature of the human skin surface in a non-contact and non-invasive manner, and can quickly obtain a thermal image of the human body so that doctors or physical therapists can quickly evaluate the temperature differences of various parts of the human body.
Normally the human body is in dynamic thermal equilibrium, but exercise and physical activity will cause an increase in imbalance, which can lead to potential damage. Infrared thermal imaging cameras have emerged as another body measurement tool, which supplements people’s understanding of the qualitative and quantitative behaviors of the human body.
Prevent sports injuries, monitor injuries, and improve human performance through infrared thermal imaging technology. The system is based on an infrared camera that obtains thermal images from a target object and software that uses computer vision algorithms. The software can let users in a few seconds Know which parts of the body may be potentially at risk of injury. The followings are the applications of infrared thermal imaging technology in sports science, medicine, and physical therapy:
(1) Injury monitoring
Anterior cruciate ligament injury
Football player injured the anterior cruciate ligament (LCA) of his right knee while changing direction. 4 months after surgery, that is, after recurrence, a heat map examination was performed. It shows a clear asymmetry in the right knee, which is confirmed by a quantitative thermal analysis, which quantifies the asymmetry at 0.6℃.
The figure shows the evolution of thermal asymmetry over time. The purpose is to reduce this asymmetry to a value close to the value before damage or there is no asymmetry. This case is a very obvious example, and the injury can be monitored until recovery.
(2) Damage prevention
Hamstring injury
Looking at the temperature chart allows us to do a preliminary qualitative analysis, from which we can conclude that the back of the right thigh has a higher temperature. After qualitative analysis, the incarnation confirmed an asymmetry slightly higher than 0.3℃.
Finally, the chart shows a gradual increase in asymmetry in that part of the body. Due to the risk of injury, physical coaches should take this increase into account and can avoid it by modifying the athlete's training in subsequent training.
(3) Preliminary assessment
Blood flow problems
A user of a health center received a preliminary assessment during their first treatment to understand their body temperature. They found significant asymmetry in their right knee, which corresponds to vascular problems and will be considered in the subsequent evaluation.
(4) Load assimilation
Anti-overload
A swimmer has discomfort and tension on the right side of his back without pain. At the quantitative level, a moderate asymmetry is observed and should be controlled to prevent an increase in strain. Pay attention to preventive measures to prevent athletes from missing the training day.
Through the above research and analysis of actual examples, we can find that infrared thermal imaging cameras have excellent performance in sports rehabilitation and can promote effective rehabilitation training of athletes.
JAVOL is a manufacturer of infrared thermal imaging technology with many years of experience. We have leading R&D technology and excellent manufacturing technology. We can continuously adjust and optimize the design plan according to the actual needs of users. Our products are sold all over the world and used in various industries. If you want to know specific services, please send your needs to us, we Will give you a satisfactory answer in time.