What is a common medical application of infrared radiation?

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Thermotherapy is a medical application that utilizes infrared radiation to provide therapeutic heating to tissues. This treatment helps in increasing local blood flow, reducing pain, and promoting healing processes in the body. By applying infrared radiation, the heat penetrates the skin and warms the targeted areas, which can alleviate conditions such as muscle spasms, joint stiffness, and chronic pain.

In contrast, the other options involve different technologies or forms of radiation. Bone scanning and dental X-rays use gamma radiation and X-rays, respectively, which are part of the ionizing radiation spectrum and serve diagnostic purposes rather than therapeutic ones. CT imaging also relies on X-rays for creating detailed cross-sectional images of the body, distinctly different from the beneficial heating effects associated with thermotherapy.