Thermography Screening & Medical Thermal Imaging

Safely & effectively determine exactly where inflammation is affecting your body.

Thermography Screening in McHenry County, Illinois

Thermography or Medical Thermal Imaging is an FDA approved technique for scanning the body to identify inflammation and other abnormalities. This technique uses heat rather than xrays to see inside the body. Nature’s Balance Acupuncture and Wellness Center provides thermography screening right in its Crystal Lake office to help diagnose ailments and track treatment progress.

If you’re committed to taking charge of your health naturally and want to know if inflammation is affecting you, contact us today at 815.788.8383 for information about our Thermography Screening / Medical Thermal Imaging Services in Crystal Lake, Cary, Algonquin, McHenry County, IL.

 

Thermography FAQ

According to Floyd H. Chilton, Ph.D. (2006) author of the Inflammation Nation, “approximately half of all Americans suffer from an inflammatory disorder, and ever more of us are at risk” (p. 16). Chilton goes on to say, “Inflammatory diseases are debilitating and, in many cases, fatal. And there is no cure for these diseases.” (p. 7). Our treatment of these diseases has improved but it often means expensive, long-term medications with side effects that often don’t even work. [1]

  • What is an inflammatory disease?
  • If inflammatory diseases are so lethal, how can I proactively identify if I’m at risk?
  • How effective is Thermography at identifying inflammation?
  • What can be imaged and how long will it take?
  • Who reviews my results?
  • If thermal imaging identifies inflammation in my body, what can I do to fix it?

Q. What is an inflammatory disease?

A. Inflammation is another word for heat. Inflammation is a normal process. It is generally accepted that many if not most diseases have inflammation at their root. Inflammatory diseases are all those disease that occur when the body’s own defense system turns against itself. This includes such diseases as arthritis, most chronic pain conditions, asthma, allergies, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, eczema, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), lupus, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis.

Inflammatory diseases are insidious in nature and often go undetected for years before their devastating symptoms appear. Case in point is breast disease. A breast tumor is slow growing, taking 8-10 years to mature into a visible growth that can finally be identified by traditional mammography. Other times, we experience inflammatory symptoms but chalk them up to the normal aging process.

Q. If inflammatory diseases are so lethal, how can I proactively identify if I’m at risk?

A. Detection of inflammation requires a heat-sensitive device and is routinely missed by traditional imaging, which is not designed to be heat sensitive.

Medical Thermal Imaging or Thermography is a proactive, scientifically established and accepted means to measure the quantity and patterns of heat emitting from the human body. It’s a highly technical FDA registered device that actually detects the infrared wavelength that is invisible to human vision. We experience infrared energy as varying degrees of temperature, so the infrared picture can accurately distinguish the variations of temperature on the body. It creates a colormap that is easy for us to read. So, the higher the temperature, the more inflammation. It is a totally safe, non-radiation, non-contact and low-cost means to measure how well your body is regulating its internal environment.

Medical Thermal Imaging proactively identifies changes in your body’s functioning long before they threaten your health. In addition, it can confirm something you suspect but have previously had no way to confirm or refute. It can also identify inflammation that conventional tests often miss. Examples are:

  • Damage to muscles and tendons
  • Nerve dysfunction
  • Organ dysfunction
  • Vascular disease like stroke
  • Sinus conditions
  • Dental pathology
  • Carotid artery health
  • Thyroid patterns
  • Lymphatic activity, and most importantly
  • Breast changes

Medical Thermal Imaging, also known as Thermography, is best known for breast screening. Breast screening is one of its highest and best uses. In fact, Medical Thermal Imaging was FDA registered in 1982 as a completely safe method for breast imaging. Because of the nature of the development of breast, thermal imaging is ideal to detect the highly visible vascular activity that facilitates tumor growth, even in its microscopic stages.

Q. How effective is Thermography at identifying inflammation?

A. Numerous studies have been done evaluating the effectiveness of thermography at identifying inflammation. The majority of these studies have focused on thermography’s ability to be a predicative indicator of breast cancer. For example, Spilalier and associates used thermography to screen 61,000 women over a 10 year period. They found that 91% of non-palpable cancers were detected by infrared imaging and that of all the patients with cancer, thermography was the first indicator of the disease in 60% of the cases. [2]

In another study consisting of almost 40,000 women. Hoberman and associates used breast thermography and physical examination to determine if mammography was recommended. They discovered that 30% of the cancers found would not have been detected without thermography. [3]

By measuring changes in your body’s thermal radiant heat as small as 1/100th of a degree, we see “bio-markers, bio-fingerprints” or “risk indicators” that published medical research confirms can reveal tell-tale signs of tumors, toxins, and disease, months or even years earlier than traditional imaging procedures. You then have time to pursue natural, conservative treatment options.

Below are 3 thermal breast images. The one on the left is an image of healthy breasts. There is good thermal symmetry with no suspicious vascular patterns or significant thermal findings. The image in the middle is an image of breasts that are positive for pathology, specifically in the left breast. The image on the right shows very significant vascular activity which justified clinical correlation and close monitoring and returned an opinion of fibrocystic changes taking place. These changes can be monitored thermographically at regular intervals until a stable baseline is established and is reliable enough for annual comparison.

Thermal Imaging is not a stand alone diagnostic device and does not replace any other diagnostic device or examination. Therefore, it should be used as an adjunctive screening tool with other such devices and examinations.

Q. What can be imaged and how long will it take?

A. The following is a list of regions of the body that can be imaged and the time it takes for each.

  • Full Body – 1 hour
  • Head/Neck – 15 minutes
  • Chest/Upper Back – 15 minutes
  • Breast – 15 minutes
  • Abdomen/Lower Back – 15 minutes
  • Shoulder/Arms/Hands – 15 minutes
  • Hips/Legs/Knees/Feet – 15 minutes Allow 30 minutes to image 2 or more regions.

    Q. Who reviews my results?

    A. All images are analyzed by specially trained and certified MD’s. You will receive a written report of their findings with your original images.

     

    Q. If thermal imaging identifies inflammation in my body, what can I do to fix it?

    A. There are many ways to address early stage inflammation in the body to help prevent the development of unwanted disease. The following are the most common:

    • Exercise
    • Diet
    • Detoxification
    • Hormone Balancing
    • Supplements and Herbs
    • Acupuncture

     

    Thermal Imaging makes it possible to easily identify the problem areas to assist in the most direct, successful and reliable treatment.

    The image below clearly shows how acupuncture can help to alleviate inflammation in the body.

    Q. Is there anything special I need to do to prepare for a thermography scan?

    A. Downlaod our Checklist for a Successful Thermography Exam to prepare for your thermography scan.

     

    Our mission is to help as many people as possible in their quest for optimum health. We are dedicated to teaching clients how to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through acupuncture, nutrition, exercise and supplements.

    Plan ahead to stay healthy and live a longer, healthier and happier life! Call Nature’s Balance Acupuncture and Wellness Center of Crystal Lake at 815.788.8383 to schedule a Thermography Screening today!

    [1] Chilton, Floyd H. Inflammation Nation. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006.

    [2] Spitalier H, Giraud D, et al: Does Infrared Thermography Truly Have a Role in Present Day Breast Cancer Management? Biomedical Thermology, Alan R. Liss New York, NY. pp. 269-278, 1982.

    [3] Haberman J., Francis J., Love T: Screening a Rural Population for Breast Cancer Using Thermography and Physical Examination Techniques. Ann NY Acad Sci, 335: pp. 492-500, 1980.

    Disclaimer

    This information, including but not limited to opinions, links and/or recommendations contained on this website are for general educational informational purposes only. Such information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

    Lower Back Pain

    I have been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years and have been deeply entrenched in “Western Medicine” thought and practice. I was skeptical of any other venue. I have been struggling with low back pain with radiation down both legs. I’ve gone through MRI’s, Physical Therapy, and Cortisone injections to my back. Two years of this torment and no relief! I was astounded, after the first acupuncture session, RELIEF! I was still skeptical, but after the third treatment, the pain was virtually gone! I am now a BELIEVER.

    ~ Anne (Crystal Lake, IL)