POWELL RIVER, B.C. – The Medicine Shoppe in Powell River will be the host site for a thermography clinic on Wednesday, November 7th.
“It’s a breast test, using thermal imaging. It’s radiation free and it’s non-invasive, and it’s a breast health assessment,” said Glenda Neufeld, certified thermography technician with Thermography Vancouver Island.
“It’s different than a mammogram in that it is about physiology, and it’s looking at the function of the tissue, whereas a mammogram is looking at the structure or the anatomy.”
She said anyone looking to attend must register beforehand, and it’s suggested that thermography be started as young as 20 to 25 years old.
“You get a baseline of what your breasts look like on a thermal image, and like a fingerprint, it should remain stable over time, relatively, unless something is changing it and then you have the heads up that something might be going on that you need to investigate,” Neufeld explained.
Neufeld said she tries to hold a clinic at the Medicine Shoppe at least once every six months in Powell River.
She wanted to remind residents that the clinic is not free.
“It is not covered by MSP, sadly, but some people can have it covered by their extended health plans and there may be some coverage for thermography,” she said.
Neufeld noted that the cost is $295 (with tax), which includes the appointment with her for the exam.
“I take the information, the imaging, send it off to the doctors who are board-certified clinical thermographers and know how to read this,” she said.
“They send a report back, so I pay them a reporting fee. I give a report to the client, and they get a copy for their own health practitioner (if they like) and I can go over (the results of) the report when it comes back (with the client).”
She added that thermography is “adjunctive and not intended to replace any test.”
“The topic of breast density has been in the news lately. Thermography is a great test for women who are concerned about that, as well for women with implants, fibrocystic breasts and those who are pregnant or nursing.”
To book an appointment, interested parties can contact Neufeld at (250) 947-5424.
