<s>
Non-contact	B-Algorithm
thermography	I-Algorithm
,	O
thermographic	O
imaging	O
,	O
or	O
medical	O
thermology	B-Algorithm
is	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
that	O
uses	O
infrared	O
images	O
of	O
the	O
human	O
skin	O
to	O
assist	O
in	O
the	O
diagnosis	O
and	O
treatment	O
of	O
medical	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Medical	O
thermology	B-Algorithm
is	O
sometimes	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
medical	O
infrared	O
imaging	O
or	O
tele-thermology	O
and	O
utilizes	O
thermographic	O
cameras	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
American	O
Academy	O
of	O
Thermology	B-Algorithm
,	O
Medical	O
Thermology	B-Algorithm
practitioners	O
are	O
licensed	O
health	O
care	O
practitioners	O
who	O
utilize	O
IR	O
imaging	O
in	O
consistent	O
with	O
medically	O
established	O
paradigms	O
of	O
care	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Non-medically	O
licensed	O
alternative	O
practitioners	O
who	O
are	O
not	O
held	O
to	O
the	O
same	O
standard	O
may	O
offer	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
services	O
but	O
that	O
should	O
not	O
be	O
confused	O
with	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
medical	O
thermology	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Restated	O
,	O
medical	O
thermology	B-Algorithm
is	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
infrared	O
(	O
IR	O
)	O
imaging	O
to	O
assess	O
skin	O
temperature	O
as	O
an	O
extension	O
of	O
the	O
clinician	O
's	O
physical	O
exam	O
to	O
aid	O
in	O
the	O
formation	O
of	O
a	O
medical	O
diagnosis	O
or	O
treatment	O
plan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Medical	O
Thermology	B-Algorithm
does	O
not	O
condone	O
those	O
who	O
purport	O
that	O
"	O
Thermography	B-Algorithm
"	O
can	O
find	O
disease	O
by	O
looking	O
for	O
areas	O
of	O
the	O
body	O
that	O
have	O
abnormal	O
heat	O
or	O
irregular	O
blood	O
flow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thermography	B-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
physiologic	O
study	O
and	O
is	O
not	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
structural	O
studies	O
such	O
as	O
X-Ray	O
,	O
MRI	O
,	O
or	O
Mammography	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
physiologic	O
study	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
medical	O
thermology	B-Algorithm
has	O
many	O
health-related	O
indications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
American	O
Academy	O
of	O
Thermology	B-Algorithm
(	O
AAT	O
)	O
(	O
www.aathermology.org	O
)	O
has	O
published	O
internationally	O
peer-reviewed	O
guidelines	O
for	O
neuro-musculoskeletal	O
(	O
MSK	O
)	O
,	O
breast	O
,	O
veterinary	O
,	O
and	O
oral-systemic	O
disease	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
of	O
neuro-musculoskeletal	O
indications	O
for	O
medical	O
thermology	B-Algorithm
include	O
Reflex	O
Sympathetic	O
Dystrophy	O
(	O
RSD	O
)	O
,	O
Chronic	O
Regional	O
Pain	O
Syndrome	O
(	O
CRPS	O
)	O
,	O
Dysautonomia	O
,	O
Migraine	O
,	O
Fibromyalgia	O
(	O
and	O
other	O
weather-sensitive	O
pain	O
syndromes	O
)	O
,	O
thoracic	O
outlet	O
syndrome	O
,	O
and	O
vaso-motor	O
migraine/headaches	O
such	O
as	O
Barre-Lieou	O
syndrome	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thermography	B-Algorithm
is	O
not	O
effective	O
for	O
any	O
type	O
of	O
medical	O
screening	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
FDA	O
had	O
repeatedly	O
issued	O
warning	O
letters	O
to	O
fraudsters	O
claiming	O
otherwise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Veterinary	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
indications	O
include	O
,	O
but	O
are	O
not	O
limited	O
to	O
,	O
assessment	O
of	O
shoring	O
,	O
limb	O
inflammation	O
,	O
and	O
sweating	O
disorders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
a	O
difference	O
between	O
Medical	O
Thermology	B-Algorithm
as	O
promulgated	O
by	O
medically	O
based	O
organizations	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
American	O
Academy	O
of	O
Thermology	B-Algorithm
(	O
AAT	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
as	O
practiced	O
by	O
alternative	O
providers	O
or	O
physicians	O
who	O
overstate	O
the	O
benefits	O
of	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
this	O
disparity	O
organizations	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
FDA	O
,	O
ISO	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
AAT	O
have	O
published	O
Guidelines	O
and	O
best	O
use	O
practices	O
to	O
help	O
educate	O
medical	O
providers	O
and	O
the	O
public	O
to	O
recognize	O
the	O
difference	O
between	O
providers	O
who	O
provide	O
medical	O
thermology	B-Algorithm
services	O
and	O
those	O
that	O
offer	O
something	O
else	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thermography	B-Algorithm
has	O
been	O
promoted	O
by	O
some	O
alternative	O
medicine	O
practitioners	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
diagnose	O
cancer	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
effective	O
for	O
this	O
purpose	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Health	O
Canada	O
has	O
issued	O
"	O
cease	O
and	O
desist	O
"	O
orders	O
to	O
clinics	O
offering	O
breast	B-Algorithm
thermography	I-Algorithm
as	O
a	O
cancer	O
diagnostic	O
device	O
because	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
cameras	O
are	O
not	O
licensed	O
as	O
a	O
medical	O
device	O
in	O
Canada	O
,	O
and	O
because	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
for	O
cancer	O
detection	O
is	O
viewed	O
as	O
ineffective	O
by	O
medical	O
experts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FDA	O
has	O
issued	O
a	O
public	O
warning	O
notice	O
stating	O
that	O
breast	B-Algorithm
thermography	I-Algorithm
is	O
not	O
an	O
alternative	O
to	O
mammography	O
and	O
has	O
ordered	O
Joseph	O
Mercola	O
to	O
stop	O
making	O
excessive	O
claims	O
for	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thermography	B-Algorithm
is	O
discouraged	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
by	O
the	O
American	O
Cancer	O
Society	O
,	O
radiologists	O
and	O
the	O
FDA	O
for	O
early	O
breast	O
cancer	O
detection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FDA	O
has	O
cleared	O
thermography	B-Algorithm
only	O
as	O
an	O
adjunct	O
method	O
of	O
screening	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Thermography	B-Algorithm
devices	O
have	O
been	O
cleared	O
by	O
the	O
FDA	O
for	O
use	O
as	O
an	O
adjunct	O
,	O
or	O
additional	O
,	O
tool	O
for	O
detecting	O
breast	O
cancer.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AAT	O
has	O
published	O
several	O
Position	O
Papers	O
,	O
including	O
statements	O
on	O
Breast	B-Algorithm
Thermography	I-Algorithm
that	O
clearly	O
delineate	O
its	O
utility	O
as	O
an	O
adjudicative	O
breast	O
risk	O
health	O
assessment	O
only	O
.	O
</s>
