Thermography is a non-invasive, radiation-free imaging procedure. Through infrared technology, a thermogram measures temperature changes in the body. Finding areas of heat (inflammation) allows for early detection of disease processes. Although thermograms are not diagnostic in and of themselves, they can empower you to be proactive about your health.
Thermography can be done on the whole body but is most commonly done on the breast, neck, and head. Breast thermography can help assess the risk of developing breast cancer and the health of the surrounding lymph. A hormonal score can be assigned as certain warming patterns can indicate a hormonal imbalance. Thermography on the neck can help indicate thyroid and surrounding lymph inflammation. Thermography on the head can show issues hiding in the teeth and sinus, and can show some problems brewing with the facial nerves.
When it comes to the pros and cons of thermograms, there are many pros and only a few cons.
The Pros:
- Does not require a doctor’s order
- Can track on your own to be proactive
- Safe and non-invasive
- Can be done frequently without negative consequences
- Relatively low cost
- Empowers you to track progress of health interventions
The Cons:
- May warrant further testing
- Not fully diagnostic on own
- Not covered by insurance
If you are a client at the NHCAA, your practitioner can use your thermography results and come up with a plan specific to you. After an intervention is in place, we can track progress over time with a follow-up thermogram. For example, I have a client who, on a scale from 0-5, had a risk rating of 4 on one breast and 4 + on the other. I put her on a plan to address her hormones, breasts, and lymph. She did a new thermogram in 6 months. Her risk rating on the 4+ breast decreased to 4 and all the heat changes reduced. The change over time shows improvement and validated that we are on the right track. We now modified the plan to add castor oil packs to expedite her progress.
I am a huge advocate of thermography because of the great health information provided, how easy it is to have done, and how safe it is. Although thermograms do not replace mammograms, they can be used much more frequently to keep tabs on your health. Thermograms can also assess other areas of the body and elucidate areas of inflammation that perhaps you did not know you had. Thermography is a powerful tool in your health arsenal that can empower you to prevent health issues in the future and to find solutions for current challenges you may have.
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