Thermography in the diagnosis of low back pain.

The basic premises of thermographic analysis for low back problems are that variations in skin temperature signify certain and specific underlying disease processes. The newer technologic advances for monitoring skin temperature raise the questions of whether thermography is an adequate substitute for invasive diagnostic tools such as electromyography and myelography or computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. This article discusses the basic concepts, procedures, clinical experiences, postoperative studies and chronic low back syndromes, and thermograms.