The use of thermal imaging to monitoring skin temperature during cryotherapy: A systematic review

•Information about multiple cryotherapy modalities and application protocols.•Cryotherapy modalities seem to be effective in reducing skin temperature.•Thermal image is a safe and trustworthy method for monitoring skin temperature during and after a cryotherapy application.•This review provides evidence for thermal imaging on investigations involving application of cryotherapy modalities.

Cryotherapy has been applied on clinical injuries and as a method for exercise recovery. It is aimed to reduce edema, nervous conduction velocity, and tissue metabolism, as well as to accelerate the recovery process of the muscle injury induced by exercise. Objective: This review aim to investigate the applicability of thermal imaging as a method for monitoring skin temperature during cryotherapy. Method: Search the Web of Science database using the terms “Cryotherapy”, “Thermography”, “Thermal Image” and “Cooling”. Results: Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria and pass the PEDro scale quality evaluation. Evidence support the use of thermal imaging as a method for monitoring the skin temperature during cryotherapy, and it is superior to other contact methods and subjective methods of assessing skin temperature. Conclusion: Thermography seems to be an efficient, trustworthy and secure method in order to monitoring skin temperature during cryotherapy application. Evidence supports the use of thermography in detriment of contact methods as well as other subjective ones.