Thermography FAQs

Medical thermal imaging is an imaging method that detects infrared heat from the surface of the body while producing a visual heat-map display. Modern medical thermography systems utilize sophisticated computerized post-image processing to extract accurate temperature data and other thermovascular information. This detection of infrared heat allows the healthcare provider to analyze and monitor physiological activity. Medical thermal imaging is supported by over 40 years of research and thousands of published medical studies. FDA clearance was gained in 1982, and from that point medical thermography started its emergence into hospitals and doctors’ offices. Medical thermography is also called digital infrared imaging or DII for short. Although medical thermography is not a standalone modality, it works extremely well in conjunction with other tests and procedures to locate possible infrared markers of concern.

Thermography is a no-touch, no compression tool with no pain involved. Thermography emits no radiation. There is no compression, and it is completely safe.

No, only a biopsy can diagnose cancer.

Absolutely!

Yes, thermography is approved through the FDA. Middle Tennessee Thermography and Wellness uses Spectron equipment, which is intended for adjunctive diagnostic screening for the detection of breast cancer and other uses such as: peripheral vascular disease, neuromusculoskeletal disorders, extracranial cerebral and facial vascular disease, thyroid gland abnormalities, and various other neoplastic, metabolic and inflammatory conditions.

The procedure is simple, fast, performed in a relaxing manner, and is 100 percent safe. What separates digital infrared imaging from X-ray, MRI, and other structural imaging methods is its ability to locate infrared markers that may indicate inflammation, circulatory problems, neuropathy, and many other health conditions. The FDA has cleared digital infrared imaging as an adjunctive screening tool to be used with structural imaging methods and other tests to help pinpoint possible problems.

You will be given very specific pre-exam instructions to follow. Once you arrive at the clinic, you will have a fifteen minute cool down period for your body temperature to acclimate. The scans itself take anywhere from five to thirty minutes, depending on the type of scan. Your information and images are then sent to an interpreting physician to evaluate and write a report. You will receive a copy of your report and images several days later.