For those of us who have had the “pleasure” of getting our breasts squeezed between two cold metal plates for a Mammogram, there is good news – Thermal Imaging. Thermography (Thermal Imaging) is a painless, non-radiation, non-invasive tool that detects imbalances (dis-ease) before physical manifestations. Using a camera, images of your internal heat patterns are taken and evaluated. While Mammograms detects large masses (5+ yrs of development), Thermography can detect rice sized masses (2+ yrs) and pathology proceeding this making it an excellent preventative tool.
So after my painful experience with mammograms, I decided to give Thermography a try. A colleague highly recommended (and now I do too) Thermography for Health NYC . As I stood naked from my hips up having torso pictures taken, I thought “Why did I wait so long to try this?”. I was instructed to return in a few months to have a second scan; apparently a 2nd scan, 3-6 months after your initial, is needed for a baseline of ones heat patterns. The cost of the first scan was $250; the 2nd one, I think, was $175. After the second scan, Tammy – the woman who had done the imaging, called and discussed my results at length. Heat patterns in my breasts were mostly good but the patterns in my neck and abdomen were on the high side.
I was given a host of suggestions, including access to a course – 8 Secrets to Optimal Breast Health. Some of the advice given was: when I get home take my bra off; aim not to wear wire bras; shake & massage my breast regularly; massage/foam roll/gua sha my neck often; learn to relax more and be more gentle on myself; express myself more; dry brush my body; take bentonite clay & psyllium husk for a few weeks then do a special abdominal massage to reduce congestion around my digestive valves (imaging showed mine were congested). Everyone gets different advice based on their imaging results, which I loved – medicine and advice based on my specific needs.
I implemented as much as I could with ease. I also let my Acupuncturist know; we worked on releasing my SCM (large muscle in the neck) along with moving stagnation in the center of my body. A year later I returned for my annual imaging and was told that my heat patterns had reduced significantly, which was a good thing. However, when I retruend the following year, the heat patterns in my neck & abdomen had increased (thankfully not to original levels). This was a lesson for me – my breast care is ongoing; it is not a one and done. I will continue to get my imaging done yearly and implement the health advice.
As a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, the use of heat patterns as a sign of health or dis-ease resonates. In Chinese Medicine, heat is a sign that qi is not moving smoothly. Over time, if unresolved, this stagnation can transform into lumps or other forms of dis-ease.
I was also surprised to learn that technology to read heat patterns in the body has existed for over 100 yrs and has been used in other countries. It was only approved by the United States’ FDA in 1982.
Many people ask, why isn’t my doctor telling me about this? Is it because it is not covered by insurance? Is it because this is a preventive tool and is not cost beneficial to a system that makes money from sick people? I can’t say, but I highly recommend the use of Thermal Imaging for health.
If you are still not convinced, watch this video of Tammy being interviewed about Thermography; it’s pretty convincing.
