Medical Thermography otherwise known as digital infrared thermal imaging is utilized as a method of early detection during the treatment of homeostatic imbalances.
Two devices in medical science function the same as a thermograph, the ECG and EEG.
What’s great about Thermography is it’s not an invasive process. The tool doesn’t need to be in contact with your body as it only uses your body heat to aid in the diagnosis of your health condition. Unlike mammography, Thermography doesn’t emit or use radiation, making it perfectly safe for your body.
There are two parts to a medical Thermography, one is the IR camera which captures thermal imaging, and the other one is a computer or laptop which displays the captured image.
Medical Thermography has a considerable amount of applications, specifically in the fields of Rheumatology, Neurology, Physiotherapy, Sports Medicine, and Oncology. Thermal imaging is a cheap yet reliable system to examine and monitor patients.
With a powerful computer and an accurate IR camera, the heat from your body is analyzed and is recorded onto the computer which will provide the doctor with a clear thermal image of your body. With that image, they can analyze and diagnose your body and its condition.
With the advancement of technology, thermography has taken thermal imaging at the forefront of diagnosis. And as it continues to advance, professionals are coming up with more and more applications for Thermography. Some of its applications are the following:
- Breast Pathologies
- Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal
- Vertebrae (Nerve Damage or Arthritis)
- Lower Extremity Vessel Disease
- Extra-Cranial Vessel Disease
Breast Pathologies
This field is where medical thermography is applied the most. It’s used to screen for breast cancer, benign tumors, mastitis, and fibrocystic breast disease.
However, it wasn’t well-received at the beginning. The application of medical thermography generated backlash from the health care community and it’s only just recently where it got the recognition that it deserved.
With the advancement of technology, it improved and is now considered to be a powerful tool against breast cancer.
Extra-Cranial Vessel Disease
In similar fashion to breast pathologies, different conditions that involve the flow of blood through the vessels in the neck and head area are easily diagnosed with thermal imaging.
Because of the size of the blood vessels that are in your neck and face area, thermal cameras can easily acquire a heat map.
Your doctor can then analyze that image and see if you have any developing vascular disease that might lead to a stroke.
Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal
This is where medical thermography shines the most. In this application, a thermal camera can showcase its ability to accurately diagnose patients that are experiencing problems with their back, neck, and extremities.
When a muscle is torn or is strained, it produces heat through a chemical reaction. Those heat patterns can indicate whether you have any complications or not.
Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, Neurologists, and more love what medical thermography does for them.
Lower Extremity Vessel Disease
Medical Thermography has provided medical professionals the ability to detect any semblance of deep vein thrombosis, as well as other circulatory disorders safely and painlessly. If you leave those disorders unchecked, it might lead to the loss of limbs, and possibly a stroke.