Nuclear medicine is a safe, painless technique for showing the shape, structure, and function of organs (i.e. kidneys, thyroid, soft tissues, and bones) and diagnosing abnormalities therein. Nuclear scans are especially helpful in finding and treating defects in the structure of an organ (such as blockage), pockets of infection (abscesses), unsuspected fractures, degenerative change, or tumors. Nuclear medicine scans often can identify abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease, a time when there may be a more successful prognosis. A Nuclear Stress Test measures blood flow to your heart muscle both at rest and during stress on the heart. It’s performed similar to a routine exercise stress test, but provides images that can show areas of low blood flow through the heart and areas of damaged heart muscle.