Thermography or DITI (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging) is a simple, non-invasive and painless functional imaging technique with no radiation and no contact with the body. It provides objective results of physiological changes and abnormalities that can be correlated with symptoms.

An infrared scanning device capable of detecting temperature differences as small as 0.01 degrees Celsius is used to convert infrared emissions from the skin surface into electrical impulses that are visualised in colour on a monitor. It is a very sensitive and very reliable means of graphically mapping and displaying skin surface temperature.

This allows us to detect the body’s neurological response to dysfunction since the autonomic nervous system’s function can be evaluated by assessing dermal blood flow.

Thermography is a useful aid for diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring in oncology, rheumatology, neurology, physiotherapy, sports medicine, paediatrics, orthopaedics, dentistry and other clinical fields.

Results obtained with medical thermography are entirely objective and show excellent correlation with other diagnostic tests.

The most common applications are in inflammatory conditions, primarily being musculoskeletal, vascular and neurological.

Thermography is also very useful as an adjunctive test in detecting and monitoring autonomic / autoimmune dysfunction and disease.

In practice, thermography is used
- To detect inflammation
- To guide preventative lifestyle changes
- To help in determining the cause of pain
- To aid in the early detection of disease and pathology
- To evaluate sensory-nerve irritation or significant soft-tissue injury
- To define or monitor a previously diagnosed injury or condition
- To identify an abnormal area for further diagnostic testing
- To follow the progress of healing and rehabilitation.

Thermography was first used in medical application in the 1960’s but didn’t become widespread until gaining regulatory approval from the FDA in 1982.

Thermography has been used extensively in human medicine in the USA, Europe and Asia for the past 20 years. Until now, cumbersome equipment has hampered its diagnostic and economic viability. Currently, state-of-the-art computer-based infrared technology designed specifically for clinical application has made thermography affordable and accessible to the general public.

There are no contraindications for the use of thermography but as the levels of specificity and sensitivity vary for different conditions and injuries, it is more useful in some applications than others. The most widespread use is in the adjunctive inclusion of thermography in breast screening and other women’s health care. Thermography is also widely used in preventive medicine to screen for inflammation or autonomic dysfunction.

Thermography is cleared for use by the FDA in all age groups and genders.

There is a growing awareness of thermography amongst doctors but there is still not a good understanding of what conditions should be referred for thermal imaging. Most referrals are from specialists, but the majority of doctor referrals are instigated upon the patient’s request. Most doctors become aware of thermography by patients bringing their reports to their doctors.

There have been thousands of published studies in the medical literature over the years. There are over 8000 peer-reviewed studies on infrared thermal imaging of the breast alone.

Reports are interpreted by medical doctors who are board certified as ‘thermologists’. Board certification and training is provided by the American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT).

Preparation for your scan is simple but extremely important. There are no dietary or medical restrictions.

Download preparation instructions:

For 4 days preceding your appointment, please avoid:
- Prolonged exposure to the sun
- Sunburn
- Tanning beds
- Tattoos

On the day of your appointment, please avoid the following:
- Acupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy (may be scheduled after your thermography appointment)
- The application of deodorants, antiperspirants, lotions, creams, liniments, powders, cosmetics or perfumes to all relevant areas of the body
- Shaving (please do this 1 or 2 days before your appointment)

Two hours prior to your appointment, please avoid the following:
- Smoking
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Vigorous exercise
- Hot shower
- Heavy meal

What to Wear:
Please wear loose fitting clothing the day of your appointment. Scanning will be delayed until skin impressions or irritations from tightly fitting clothing have dissipated.
Arrive a few minutes early to your appointment. You will be disrobing down to your underwear for the scan.
Women should avoid wearing an underwire bra on the day of their breast scan.
Remove all jewellery.
Long hair should be tied up.

The exam:
The imaging room will be a neutral temperature. You will be given time to undress down to your underwear while you acclimate to the ambient temperature of the examination room.

If you have not already filled out a medical history questionnaire, you will fill it out at this time.
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The thermographer will review your medical history and demonstrate the required views and positioning necessary for your exam.

Obtaining a thermographic image is like having your picture taken. There is no direct contact between you and the camera. There is no radiation, no injection, nothing to drink. An exam typically takes between 20-40 minutes to perform. A standard region of interest study such as a breast study or head and neck takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, and full body takes up to 40 minutes.

Each report correlates the thermal findings with the patient’s history and symptoms and provides useful information for the patient’s healthcare practitioner for additional diagnostic testing, decision making, or referral to other specialists. Thermography can also provide results that lead to a definitive diagnosis in difficult to diagnose conditions such as referred pain, entrapment syndromes and neurological dysfunction.

Yes, infrared thermal imaging is completely non-invasive and 100% safe. There is no harmful radiation, no contact with the body and no painful breast compression. There are no side-effects or medical contraindications to this technique.

Thermography is safe even during pregnancy or while lactating.

Thermography has been cleared by the FDA since 1982.

Primary benefit: Early diagnosis and intervention in any developing pathology or condition leads to better outcomes and quicker recovery. Thermography can be pivotal in preventative medicine by detecting early physiological changes and sub-clinical dysfunction.

Limitations: Thermography does not show any ‘structural’ information in the way that X-ray, ultrasound or MRI does. It cannot show internal structures, but it does show physiological (functional) findings like inflammation, neurological dysfunction, vascular abnormalities and most importantly, evidence of autonomic dysfunction.

Thermography can be done
- Annually for screening in preventative health
- At any time to evaluate specific symptoms of concern
- At regular intervals to monitor the stability or evolution of specific medical conditions
- Before and after any intervention to assess outcomes.

Screening programs are most effective in monitoring for changes over time to detect developing pathology at an early stage.

In breast screening, 2 initial breast studies are required 90 days apart to establish a stable baseline which represents the patient’s “thermal fingerprint”. Thereafter, monitoring is recommended on an annual, biannual or trimesterly basis according to each patient’s situation.

Thermography does not replace any other type of imaging technique or test. All tests are specific in their applications.

Thermography is a physiological test that visualizes function. In thermography, the images portray the body’s response to physiological dysfunction.

As an example, pain is a physiological response to an injury or a pathology: it’s a ‘feeling’, not a structure that can be imaged with structural tests. The cause of the pain can often be diagnosed with structural tests, but there are many conditions and injuries that do not have a structural cause. Thermography offers objective imaging results that show the physiological cause of the pain which may be neurological, inflammatory, a referred syndrome or autonomic.

Thermography provides an affordable and cost-effective health assessment. The cost containment value lies in earlier diagnosis (earlier diagnosis often means cheaper and less invasive treatment) and negative prediction (ruling out the need for more expensive and invasive tests).

See our price list:

Digital infrared thermal imaging works by objective measurement of the infrared radiation that is emitted by the body (through skin blood flow). The measuring tool is objective, but the findings are also objective, as the body has no subjective control of autonomic function and skin blood flow.

There are varying levels of specificity and sensitivity relating to the types of conditions and pathologies that produce physiological findings. In general, the sensitivity is very high but the specificity is lower. This allows us to contribute to a differential diagnosis (leading on to clinical correlation that ends in a definitive diagnosis).

We are referenced and recognized by the American College of Clinical Thermology.

You can find us in their referenced clinics database here:‍

At the present time, most insurance companies do not cover the procedure. You will be given an invoice upon payment, which may be deductible as a medical expense from your taxes if applicable.

You can find more information on the website of the American College of Clinical Thermology

Yes. The accuracy of thermography is not affected in patients with implants. Since there is no compression there is also zero risk of causing damage to the implants.

Thermography offers the opportunity to detect breast disease earlier than is possible with breast examination or mammography alone.

Each patient has her own thermal vascular pattern which remains static throughout her lifetime. Any changes to her normal “thermal fingerprint” caused by early cell changes (pathology) will become apparent while monitoring her breasts over time. This makes thermography an essential adjunct to structural imaging in breast cancer screening.

Canadian researchers recently confirmed that infrared imaging of breast cancers could detect minute temperature variations related to blood flow and demonstrate abnormal patterns associated with the progression of tumours. Thermography screening was positive for 83% of breast cancers, compared to 61% for clinical breast examination alone and 84% for mammography alone. The 84% sensitivity rate of mammography alone was increased to 95% when infrared imaging was added.

Purpose of the Test:
Early detection of abnormal changes in the breasts, which may require further diagnostic testing. Two sets of images 90 days apart are required for a baseline study of the breasts.

Download preparation instructions:

NOTE: A screening baseline cannot be acquired while pregnant or lactating since the activity in the breasts during that time is fluctuating. To evaluate breast health, it is recommended to wait at least 3 months after breastfeeding has ceased.

Patient Preparation:
On the day of your appointment, please avoid the following: - Acupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy (may be scheduled after your thermography appointment)
- Sun exposure and sunbeds
- Strenuous exercise (may be scheduled after your thermography appointment)
- The application of deodorants, antiperspirants, lotions, creams, liniments, powders, cosmetics or perfumes to the chest area
- Shaving (please do this 1 or 2 days before your appointment)
- Skin brushing, dry brushing or lymphatic drainage
- Kidney dialysis

Two hours prior to your appointment, please avoid the following:
- Smoking
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Vigorous exercise
- Hot shower
- Heavy meal

NOTE: Wait 3 months after surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy before scheduling an appointment. Wait 3 months after lactation.

What to Wear:
Please wear loose fitting clothing the day of your appointment. Scanning will be delayed until skin impressions or irritations from tightly fitting clothing have dissipated. Arrive a few minutes early to your appointment. You will be disrobing down to your underwear for the scan. Women should avoid wearing an underwire bra on the day of their breast scan. Remove all jewellery. Long hair should be tied up. No changes necessary for diet or medication.

General Information:
The procedure is non-invasive, contact free, private, and with no radiation. The imaging room will be a neutral temperature. You will be given time to remove your top and bra while you acclimate to the ambient temperature of the examination room. Inform your thermographer if you had any recent skin lesions on your breast as the inflammation may cause a false positive result. Thermography is performed by a female certified clinical thermographer and is completely private. There are no risks and no side effects. Average time for the appointment is 30 minutes. Please bring your healthcare provider’s name and address if you want a copy of your report and scans mailed to him/her. You are welcome to bring a companion to be present during the scan.

Breast screening with thermography has been extensively researched so we have a good record of the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false negative and false positive statistics.

Breast thermography has an average sensitivity and specificity of 90%.

Over 30 years of research comprising over 8000 peer-reviewed studies on breast cancer screening with thermography exist in medical literature. In this database, well over 300,000 women have been included as study participants. The numbers of participants in many studies are very large (10,000; 37,000; 60,000; 85,000; etc.) Some of these studies have followed patients for up to 12 years.

These clinical trials have demonstrated that breast thermography can:
- detect the first signs of a cancer up to 10 years before any other procedure can detect it
- significantly augment the long-term survival rates by as much as 61%.

When used as part of a multimodal approach (clinical examination + mammography + thermography), this will detect 95% of early stage cancers.

All women can benefit from breast screening with thermography.

This technique is particularly interesting for younger women aged 25 to 50 with denser breast tissue.

Approximately 15% of all breast cancers occur in women under 45.

The earliest possible indication of abnormality is needed to allow for the earliest possible treatment and intervention. Thermography's role in monitoring breast health is to help in early detection and monitoring of abnormal physiology.

The faster a malignant tumor grows, the more infrared emissions it generates. For younger women in particular, results from thermography screening can lead to earlier detection and, ultimately, longer life.

75% of women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

Regardless of your family history, if your thermogram is abnormal you run a future risk of breast cancer that is 10 times higher than a first order family history of the disease.

Thermography can provide you with a future risk assessment. If discovered, certain thermographic risk markers can warn a woman that she needs to work closely with her doctor with regular check-ups to monitor her breast health.

In breast screening, 2 initial breast studies are required 90 days apart to establish a stable baseline which represents the patient’s “thermal fingerprint”. Thereafter, monitoring is recommended on an annual, biannual or trimesterly basis according to each patient’s situation.

There is a growing awareness of thermography amongst doctors but there is still not a good understanding of what conditions should be referred for thermal imaging. Most referrals are from specialists, but the majority of doctor referrals are instigated upon the patient’s request. Most doctors become aware of thermography by patients bringing their reports to their doctors.

You can find more information about breast thermography on the website of the American College of Clinical Thermology

We are referenced and recognized by the American College of Clinical Thermology.

You can find us in their referenced clinics database here:‍