It's the number one question we get from people when we tell them about our business - What is Thermography?
Thermography is a medical imaging procedure that involves no radiation, no contact with the patient, no compression, and is painless and easy. In the simplest terms, thermography measures the infrared heat radiating from the surface of your body.
When there is inflammation occurring in the body, or certain diseases are forming such as cancer, those areas experience an increase in blood flow and thermovascular activity, which in turn creates more heat. A medical thermography camera is able to pick up on that heat and display it in an image called a thermogram. A board certified Thermologist then reads those images and generates a report based on the different levels of heat signatures present.
Everyone has their own, unique thermovascular pattern or signature in their body, like a fingerprint, which will generally stay consistent over time until an issue arises. The human body will also normally be thermally symmetrical from one side of the body to the other, so an issue can become apparent when a significant difference is noted.
Although breast screening is the most common application for thermography, it is also widely used to help identify vascular health, stroke, diabetes, back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, digestive disorders, thyroid health, dental challenges, fibromyalgia, inflammation, and unexplained body pain.
We will go into the different aspects of thermography in more detail in upcoming blog posts, but hopefully that will provide a high-level overview of what thermography is. We've included some images below to show you the amazing capabilities of medical thermography. Want more information? Call 321-574-9014, email info@SpaceCoastThermography.com or visit SpaceCoastThermography.com
