Today with so many testing options to image our bodies for breast and body health, we would like to share with you all the benefits of thermography. The saying goes, “Knowledge is Power”, right? We hope to share some of that knowledge and give you the power to make smart choices, so, let’s get started! BE SURE TO WATCH VIDEOS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.
Thermography is FDA approved. The procedure is: non-invasive, no radiation (radiation increases your risk of cancer), no compression (compressing the breast could lead to a lethal spread of existing malignant cells), painless, no body contact. Thermal imaging is completely safe for pregnant women, women with breast implants, women with large, dense or sensitive breasts.
The use of thermography is based on the principal that metabolic activity and vascular circulation in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area surrounding a developing breast cancer is almost always higher than normal breast tissue. In an ever-increasing need for nutrients, cancerous tumors increase circulation to their cells by holding open existing blood vessels, opening dormant vessels, and creating new ones. This process frequently results in an increase in regional surface temperature of the breast. Thermography uses ultra sensitive medical infrared cameras and sophisticated computers to detect, analyze, and produce high-resolution images of these temperature variations. Because of the extreme sensitivity, these temperature variations may be among the earliest signs of breast cancer and pre-cancerous state of the breast or other parts of the body.
Thermal Imaging is a safe, non-invasive, imaging test that uses an ultra-sensitive infrared camera to produce high resolution diagnostic images of temperature distribution throughout the body. Our intention is to use this technology for prevention and early disease detection. WHAT IS THERMOGRAPHY?
The images taken create a map showing heat patterns within the body visibly detecting inflammation and other conditions that may go un-noticed by x-rays and mammograms. By measuring the temperature, Clinical Thermography can monitor the body’s thermal activity and alert the doctor of possible health concerns.
It has been shown to be effective in finding early signs of breast disease up to 10 years before a mammogram. With the knowledge received, followed by a holistic recommended approach by our medical doctors, you now have strategic tools to start living an abundantly healthy life.
If you are a woman, you need to take your breast health seriously!
One In Eight Women Will Get Breast Cancer At Some Point In Their Life
An annual thermogram allows you to map changes in your body’s heat patterns over time. They can alert you to any deviations from your norm. Mapping your health annually helps you detect changes, often before disease develops. Thermography creates a digital map of your body that illustrates heat patterns – patterns that may detect some condition or abnormality.
We Live In The Inflammation Age
INFLAMMATION: IS IT GOOD OR BAD? DO WE WANT TO ELIMINATE IT?
Yet breast imaging is only one benefit of thermograms. Another area that can be of benefit is pain diagnosis and inflammation (precursor to disease and pain in the body).
Chronic inflammation is a bad guy and a real destroyer of health. Often we are unaware that we have inflammation until it has damaged our tissues.
Fortunately, we have some very effective options based on finding inflammation . And here’s the good news: early detection of inflammation may help you prevent many negative health conditions from developing.
While you can reduce inflammation with dietary changes, nutritional supplements, antioxidants, detoxification, stress reduction, and more…… finding out if you have inflammation before it becomes a major problem is the key. Thermography may be able to detect inflammation at it’s earliest stages.
Thermography is best known as an adjunct screening for breast/body health. Thermography is not a stand alone diagnostic device, it is used along with other screening tests, but it could be your first safe line of defense.
We hope this information has been helpful.
Check out our different screenings, we do screenings for breast health and the full body. Safe for men, women, and children of ALL ages.
Thermography Q&A
How does Thermography work?
Thermography is a non-invasive technique that allows the examiner to visualize and quantify changes in skin temperature. An infrared scanning device is used to convert infrared rays emitted from the skin surface into images that are converted to color on a monitor. This visual image graphically maps the body temperature and is referred to as a thermogram. The spectrum of colors indicate and increase or decrease in the amount of infrared rays being emitted from the body surface. Since there is a high degree of thermal symmetry in the normal body, subtle abnormal temperature asymmetries can be easily identified.
What is the difference between Thermography and Mammography?
Where mammography looks for structure such as a lump, thermography looks for the body’s physiological response to cancer cells. These changes can often occur 8-10 years before the cells are large enough to be seen by a mammogram.
Who reads the images and reports?
Images are analyzed by doctors, who are all board certified Thermologists. All doctors must be licensed and insured and in good standing for certification. Dr. Gregory Melvin has been reading/reporting for over 20 years.
Does Thermography replace Mammograms?
No! However, do mammograms replace thermography? The answer to this is also a resounding no, the two tests complement each other. The consensus among health care experts is that no one procedure or method of imaging is solely adequate for breast cancer screening. The false negative and positive rates for mammography are to high for the procedure to be used alone. Thermography may pick up many of the cancers missed by mammography. A positive infrared image is also the single most important marker of high risk for developing breast cancer. It is thermography’s unique ability to monitor the abnormal temperature (physiological) changes produced by diseased breast tissue that allows for extremely early detection. Since it has been determined that 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer, we must use every means possible to detect these tumors when there is the greatest chance for survival. Remember too! Thermography is non-invasive, no radiation, no compression, no pain, no body contact. Completely safe.
What is the benefit of a test that shows physiology?
Cellular changes can create an abnormal thermal pattern and may often be viewed by a thermogram before a lesion is dense enough for a mammogram.
Why do I need to come back in three or six months for another breast screening?
Before any changes can be evaluated, an accurate and stable baseline must be established. A baseline cannot be determined with only one scan, since there would be no way of knowing if it is a normal pattern or not, or if changes have taken place since the time of the first exam.
How long does it take to receive my report?
Reports are usually received from 7-10 business days. They are sent either by e-mail directly to you or by mail.
What if I have breast implants?
Because Thermography does not require any contact or compression, then there is no risk of rupture.
What if I am nursing or pregnant?
No radiation is used so thermography is completely safe for pregnant or nursing mothers.
Thermography can be used for diagnosis and prognosis of many medical conditions:
 Altered Ambulatory Kinetics |
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome |
Grafts |
| Altered Biokinetics |
Compartment Syndrome |
Heart Disease |
| Brachial Plexus Injuries |
Cord Pain/Injury |
Hysteria |
| Biomechanical Impropriety |
Deep Vein Thrombosis |
Headache Evaluation |
| Breast Disease |
Disc Disease |
Herniated Disc |
| Bursitis |
Dystrophy |
Herniated Disc Pulposis |
| Inflammatory Disease |
Facet Syndromes |
Hyperaesthesia |
| Int. Carotid Insufficiency |
Ext. Carotid Insufficiency |
Hyperflexion Injury |
| Infectious Disease |
Nerve Root Irritation |
Reflex Symp. Dystrophy |
| Ligament Tear |
Nerve Impingement |
Ruptured Disc |
| Lower Motor Neuron Disease |
Nerve Stretch Injury |
Skin Cancer |
| Lumbosacral Plexus Injury |
Neuropathy |
Somatization Disorders |
| Malingering |
Neurovascular Compression |
Soft Tissue Injury |
| Median Nerve Neuropathy |
Neuralgia |
Sprain/Strain |
| Morton’s Neuroma |
Neuritis |
Stroke Screening |
| Muscle Tear |
Neuropraxia |
Synovitis |
| Musculoigamentous Spasm |
Neoplasia |
Sensory Loss |
| Musculoigamentous Spasm |
Nutritional Disease |
Sensory Nerve Abnormality |
| Myofascial Irritation |
Periodontal Disease |
Skin Abnormalities |
| Nerve Entrapment |
Peripheral Axon Disease |
Somatic Abnormality |
| Nerve Impingement |
Raynaud’s |
Superficial Vascular |
| Nerve Pressure |
Referred Pain Syndrome |
Temporal Arteritis |
| Tendonitis |
Trigeminal Neuroalgia |
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment |
| TMJ Dysfunction |
Trigger Points |
Whiplash |