MEDICAL IMAGING VIA THERMOGRAPHY

Course overview

This course provides a breakthrough in diagnostic techniques by teaching about a practical, very inexpensive way to use digital, infrared thermography. It also satisfies Florida's 5 hour Bio-Medical Sciences CEU requirement. There are many types of medical imaging ? from X-rays and CT scans to sonograms, from MRIs and PET scans to thermography. The insights (literally) to be gained from their use can be of great assistance when treating patients. However some - especially X-rays, CT scans, and PET scans - pose significant health risks (as discussed in my CEU course "Medical Imaging ? Ionizing Radiation and Human Health"). Of all forms of medical imaging, infrared thermography is clearly the safest and for some uses the most cost-effective. With safety of patients in mind, the purpose of this course is thus twofold: 1.To enable practitioners to meet the 5 hour Bio-Medical Sciences CEU requirement of Florida Chapter 64 B1 ? 7.0015 by providing a comprehensive survey of the history and use of infrared thermography in a clinical setting, particularly when it comes to determining neuromuscular disorders, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) ? also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), and incipient pathologies of the breast. This aspect of the course does not attempt to render clinical competency in the realm of thermographic interpretation, yet it will teach the student how to follow the Wexler protocol, the most respected protocol for obtaining reliable images of the neuromusculature of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar areas and extremities with digital infrared thermographic photography equipment. (There are many sources for such equipment to be found on the internet, and discussing their individual merits will not be part of this course). 2.To empower practitioners to diagnose and treat patients with problems stemming from imbalances of the back shu points quite simply and effectively using a protocol developed by Florida Acupuncture Physician Dr. Luis Celpa, (celpalo@yahoo.com). His easy to learn thermographic techniques employ very inexpensive hand-held infra-red technology with an approach based specifically upon fundamental principles of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.