Services: Thermography

What is Thermography?

Medical Thermal Imaging, or Thermography, is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that allows the examiner to visualize and quantify changes in skin surface temperature. The resulting map of the body's temperature is called a Thermogram.

A Thermogram is unique in its capability to show physiological change and metabolic processes, helping health practitioners in early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

Unlike X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound tests and MRIs, which focus on your anatomy, thermography takes a different approach. It produces an infrared image of your body's unique thermal "fingerprint" revealing its physiological and metabolic processes.

Like X-rays, mammograms, CT scans and MRIs, thermography is not diagnostic. Like other scanning and screening technologies, thermography does provide more information about what's going on in the body to help medical professionals make diagnoses.

Because thermography examines physiology, it can provide new information about where pain is really coming from which makes it an extremely useful tool in helping to detect fibromyalgia, myofacial problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, RSD, pinched nerves and many other issues that cause pain. It can also point to underlying, symptomless conditions.

Thermography is also particularly helpful in monitoring breast health. A thermogram can show physiological changes in the breast that may indicate angiogenesis, the formation of blood vessels that may be occurring to feed the growth of a tumour.

How does it work?

A medical thermal imaging camera, or scanner, is used to take a picture of the patient. The technology converts infrared emissions from the skin's surface into electrical impulses that appear as a colour spectrum on a computer monitor. Colour variations show temperature differentials that may indicate an existing or potential health issues.

At Valentus, once your scan is taken it's uploaded, reviewed and interpreted by a Medical Doctor that's also a Certified Thermologist. The MD then interprets the thermogram to help identify issues that may be causing pain or discomfort. A report is then provided to the patient and also to their health care provider if requested by the patient.

Who should consider thermography?

Pain that’s been hard to diagnose
If you’ve been living with pain that has been difficult to diagnose, thermography is an excellent tool for providing further information that can aid in determining its cause.

Breast Health and Monitoring
If you are under 40, mammography is not recommended, so thermography is a tool that will provide you with information of value to your breast health.

If you are over 40 and prefer a painless, non-invasive approach to monitoring breast health, thermography may be for you.

In combination with a Digital Breast Exam, thermography is an ideal option for monitoring both physiology and structure.

Thermography on it's own is also a breast screening tool that can be used in conjunction with other screening modalities such as mammography, ultrasound or MRI.

A Record of Your Physiological Health
Even if you're in great health, you can benefit from a baseline body scan. The important information it delivers lets doctors track and source potentially problematic changes as they develop, and in the event that you are in an accident or have issues surface at a later time, a second scan may help you to better 'see' any changes that have taken place in comparison.

Here are just some of the conditions a thermal scan can help reveal:

Artery inflammation Nerve damage
Arthritis Reflex Sympathetic Disorder
Back injuries Skin cancer
Breast disease Soft tissue injuries
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Sprain/strain
Dental and TMJ issues Stroke
Digestive disorders Thyroid dysfunction
Disc injury and/or disease Unexplained pain
Fibromyalgia Vascular disease
Headache Whiplash
Inflammatory pain  

What can I expect during a Valentus Thermography session?
First, you will provide a medical history which will be included with your scan for the doctor's interpretation. After your medical history is taken, you'll be asked to disrobe only as needed for the area being scanned. A Certified Thermographer does your scan using a medical thermal imaging camera that captures the image. The image is relayed directly to a computer, where your file is prepared, then uploaded to a medical doctor for interpretation. Scans last between 20 minutes and one hour, depending on whether they're region-specific or full-body. You get your results in the form of a report along with the images within a week and you can have them forwarded to your medical professional if you choose.

How can I be confident that Valentus Thermography will help me?
While there are many industrial and commercial cameras being used for medical purposes, Valentus uses the only medical thermal scanner specifically designed for the human body by Meditherm. What's more, Valentus has access to a roster of over 35 full-time Medical Doctors - all of them Certified Thermologists as well as being MD's - who read and interpret Valentus Thermography scans and provide a detailed Interpretation Report within a week after your scan is done.

Where can I learn more?
Here are a few resources that we encourage you to review.
On thermography for breast health:

On thermography for other issues. A few short case studies:


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