Medical Thermal Imaging
Non invasive
No radiation
Painless
No contact with the body
FDA registered
Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging
(D.I.T.I.) is a totally non invasive clinical imaging procedure for detecting and monitoring a number of diseases and physical injuries, by showing the thermal abnormalities present in the body. It is used as an aid for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as monitoring therapy progress, for conditions and injuries. This includes:
| Back Injuries | Breast Disease |
| Arthritis | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome |
| Headache | Disc Disease |
| Nerve Damage | Inflammatory Pain |
| Unexplained Pain | Skin Cancer |
| Fibromyalgia | Referred Pain Syndrome |
| RSD (CRPS) | Sprain/Strain |
| Dental & TMJ | Stroke Screening |
| Artery Inflammation | Whiplash |
| Vascular Disease | Mesothelioma Cancer |
| Digestive Disorders |
Here's How It Works
X-Ray, CT Ultrasound, and MRI are all tests of 'anatomy' that measure the structures of your body. Medical Thermal Imaging is unique in its capability to show physiological change and metabolic processes.This quick and easy test starts with taking your medical history. You then need only partially disrobe for the procedure. We have both certified male and female technicians to perform the scan. There is zero body contact and there are no harmful side effects. A scan of the affected area; or of the entire body, is taken using American College of Clinical Thermology approved equipment from Meditherm, Inc. The entire process takes as little as 15 minutes to; at most, one hour.
Diagnosis and Prognosis
Your images are sent, via server upload, to licensed medical doctors certified in evaluation and analysis of medical digital infrared thermal imaging (D.I.T.I.). A written report including your images is sent back within days that gives a complete breakdown of the findings and any referral for treatment, if necessary. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call today.
832-385-4482
Joseph Turcotte, Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor, CNRT, BCCT
Doctor Linda Turcotte CNRT, LMT #3506, BCCT Board Certified
Instructions before your breast thermography appointment:
- No vigorous exercise 2 hours before your appointment time.
- No excessively hot baths or showers 2 hours before.
- No lotions, oils or creams from the waist up. (Include the entire body, if you are receiving a full body scan which includes no make up).*
- Do not apply antiperspirant.
- No sunbathing or massage that day.
- No shaving on day of appointment.
- If you smoke, do not smoke 2 hours before your appointment time. Better yet - quit!
The best way to know what to do is to arrive at your appointment "just as you came into this world...but with clothes on!"
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why Have I Not Heard About This?
Like many alternative diagnostic tools or treatments, the facts are not always disclosed. Thermography was summarily dropped from breast screening in the 1980's after only 1 year of use. The reason was cited as being it detected too many false positives and therefore was not specific enough. This is ironic since the mammogram has a 65% false positive rate and recent studies have shown that it is a poor predictive tool. 90% of medical doctors know nothing of the technology and so are critical of that which they don't know. The other 10% seem to quote research from 22 years ago from a few small studies and ignore the plethora of positive research.
Is it accurate?
Yes, as a routine screening tool, it has been shown to be 97% effective at detecting benign vs malignant breast abnormalities. Another study tracked 1537 women with abnormal thermograms for 12 years. They had normal mammograms and physical exams. Within 5 years, 40% of the women developed malignancies. The researchers commented ""an abnormal thermogram is the single most important marker of high risk for the future development of breast cancer" These results have been repeated over and over again for nearly 30 years.
Is It Safe?
While a variety of studies have called into question the safety of cumulative exposures to radiation, this is not the case with Thermography. Thermography emits nothing, it only takes an image. Nothing touches you and it is quick and painless. This all makes Thermography great for frequent screening with no chance of danger.
Who Reads the Images?
The images are sent via secured server to EMI Meditherm Interpretation which are a professional group of physicians who are trained in the protocols of reading Thermal images. A very formal interpretation is made and sent to us where we will review the results and make suggestions or referrals if necessary. You are given a copy of the report and frequently we send copies of the reports to physicians for their records.
What If I get Abnormal Results? What Do I Do?
Thermography is not diagnostic but gives early risk factors. This is great news because an abnormal result from a thermogram often buys time so that natural interventions such as herbs, supplements and lifestyle changes can influence the outcome. At the least, the condition can be closely monitored safely until conventional interventions need to be applied. It is important to recognize that early detection is the key to a good outcome. Remember, if it were not for thermography, this abnormality would have continued to grow for up to 10 years until you can actually feel the lump. I will make recommendations or referrals as necessary.
How deep does the camera see?
Thermal imaging can only see the surface of the skin, however the autonomic nervous system controls the blood flow to the skin and so this will reflect the state of the tissues under the skin.
So, while saying that "thermography only sees the first millimeters of depth" is technically true, it misses the physiological response that controls the temperature at the surface. Just as someone turning red with embarrassment is an autonomic response to an emotional reaction, the changes seen with thermography are an autonomic response to the tissues underneath.
