THERMOGRAPHY
Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging
Thermography (DITI) is a holistic procedure that photographs the body and helps determine the underlying cause of many diseases and conditions. It provides a valuable window into the body and involves no touch, pressure or radiation like many other diagnostic procedures.
It is a wonderful, quick, pain free and totally non-invasive way to monitor breast health. The camera is capable of detecting subtle changes that accompany breast pathology, whether it be cancer, fibrocystic disease, infection or vascular disease. DITI testing offers the opportunity of earlier detection of breast disease than possible through self-examination, doctor examination and mammography alone.
All women can benefit from DITI breast screening. It is especially appropriate for younger women (30-50) whose denser breast tissue makes detection of breast disease with mammography alone difficult. There are also many women who choose not to undergo mammographic screening (like those with implants, augmentations, or by personal choice) and so this provides a second, radiation free, choice.
Each consultation starts with a medical history being taken before you partially disrobe in a darkened room for screening to take place. The initial consultation and a 3 month follow up provide a baseline for your thermal fingerprint. Subsequent sessions assure patterns remain unchanged.
The 3 month follow up is recommended because cancer cells double every 90 days, thus providing a baseline. All consultations come with a report including a full set of their images. These reports are interpreted by a qualified medical doctor.
According to Dr. Thomas Hudson, “Thermography can detect physiological changes associated with breast cancer while it’s still at the cellular level – before it becomes visible on a mammogram.” This thermal imaging system is also safe, painless and radiation-free.
Thermography is also a great tool to monitor breast health because it gives indications of problems before there is a diagnosed cancer that can be changed and monitored. Examples include estrogen dominance, lymphatic congestion, and even allergies that cause inflammation. BRAS strives to talk about these ideas out during an initial screening and give women easy cost-effective, drug-free ways to make breast health changes.
Mammograms show structure using compression and radiation. A mammogram is considered the “gold standard” by the medical community. It is excellent to pinpoint a mass and is always required before surgery. A tissue biopsy is then needed to make sure a lump is not cancerous.
Many people ask if Thermography can replace Mammogram; The easy answer is no, but it is more complex than that. Both systems serve a different purpose. Using thermography and mammography together can decrease breast cancer risks. Thermography is better used for prevention and protecting breast health in many ways. Mammography is used to diagnose a specific problem.
This technology however, is the only method available for visualising your pain, so no longer is it ‘all in your head’. It can be used to help diagnose back injuries, arthritis, headache, nerve damage, unexplained pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel, dental and TMJ, artery inflammation, vascular disease, inflammation, skin cancer, referred pain syndrome, sparainand strains, stroke screening, thyroid dysfunction, whiplash, digestive disorders and more.
Jessica is in clinic one Monday per month.