Inside Out Diagnostic Imaging

Hot Tech Comes To Horse Country - March 2, 2007

They look like a character right out of Star Trek as they pull their infrared scanner out of their holster and view wildly colored images of your horse through the small screen in their hands. Who are they? They are Inside Out IDI technicians using infrared thermographic cameras to pinpoint any health problems in your horse.
Inside Out Diagnostic Imaging is a company based in Sundre, Alberta, that is specializing in the use of infrared thermography on horses and Tammy Thompson, one of the company’s founders is excited about the technology. She isn’t the only one excited about the use of this medical imaging technology on horses. Inside Out has already opened a branch in the U.S. and their services have been contracted out to the North American Farriers’ Academy and Research Center, and they have had enquiries from the United Kingdom. Inside Out has also been working closely with Steppin’ On The Frog, a Sundre based farrier service.
Infrared thermography excels where other technologies such as x-rays and CT scans fail. Research has shown that medical thermal imaging is effective in diagnosing most types of back, neck and limb pain, especially hard to treat pain syndromes. Recognizing that every organ reflects itself on the surface medical thermal imaging has been recognized as a viable diagnostic tool  since 1987 by the AMA council on Scientific Affairs, the ACA Council on Diagnostic Imaging and the Congress of Neuro-Surgeons since 1988, and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation since 1990. It is being used increasingly in the areas of neuromusculoskeletal injury, cancer, and circulatory pathology.
“Imagine being able to pinpoint health problems in your horse with no more stress on the horse than a photographer coming out to take a few pictures,” says Tammy Thompson of Inside Out. “Even better, imagine being able to buy a horse confident that there is no hidden muscle or nerve damage, or using a simple photograph to monitor the effectiveness of  a treatment being provided by a vet or alternative care practitioner. Infrared Thermography can do that!”
The excitement over this technology is evident in Tammy’s voice as she raves about the benefits of having this high priced high tech equipment being available to horse owners at an affordable price. Providing services that range from a full body scan right down to checking for saddle fit problems, Inside Out will come to you, or you can bring your horse to them and they will provide you with medical quality digital images and an analysis of those images. Tammy points out that their analysts do not make a medical diagnosis, only pinpoint problem areas and they recommend taking the images to your own vet to use in diagnosing any health problems. “If a vet can view the specific location of a problem using an infrared thermographic image they can minimize the extent of other investigations often saving you time and money,” says Tammy. “Often these images will show a problem starting before it even shows up visibly to the horse owner.”
You can find out more about Inside Out Diagnostic Imaging and infrared thermography at insideoutimaging.com.

The back and hip problems are evident in this
thermographic image.

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The above digital image can be downloaded for print without alteration other than coversion to grayscale.

Media Relations
Tammy Thompson
1-877-638-3980
office@insideoutimaging.com
Box 32 Site 119 RR#3
Sundre, AB T0M 1X0

The Heat Is On - March 2, 2007

 The heat is on all of our horses says Lawrence Nault, President of Inside Out Diagnostics. "and we can show you where."
Advances in modern medical technology are occurring at an incredible rate. The cost of these technologies often limits their availability and usefulness to horse and animal owners though. Inside Out Diagnostic Imaging is now making one of these incredible pieces of technology, infrared thermographic imaging, available to the average horse owner.
Working closely with the staff of Shur Shod Horseshoeing School, an industry leader in training farriers, and the North American Farriers Academy and Research Center, Inside Out has refined the use of infrared technology in evaluating the health and condition of horses. Using technology that is currently being used by medical researchers and recognized by the FDA, the AMA council on Scientific Affairs, the ACA Council on Diagnostic Imaging, the Congress of Neuro-Surgeons, and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inside Out has the capability to take medical quality thermographic images that are capable of locating problems that other medical imaging equipment often misses. "We can do this right at your horses home using non invasive, non radioactive technology with little more stress on the horse than a photographer snapping pictures," says Tammy Thompson, CEO of Inside Out Diagnostic Imaging.
Inside Out is using infrared thermographic imaging to perform pre-purchase exams on horses, evaluate saddle fit, as well as diagnose health problems. The digital images are intended as a tool for a veterinarian’s diagnosis and not a substitute or replacement for a good vet. Using the infrared technology a complete body scan can be done on site and based on their own interpretation of the images or that of one of the IDI analysts the vet can determine if x-rays or further tests are needed and what needs to be x-rayed. "Even if a horse has been drugged to mask injuries or lameness infrared imaging can often reveal the problem," says Rosanne Case, head of the first U.S. Branch of Inside Out. "It can even detect an injury before it starts to show up in the movement of the horse allowing horse owners to treat it before it becomes a major issue."
The medical quality digital images produced by Inside Out technicians can provide horse owners and professionals almost immediate feedback. This was demonstrated recently during a 3 day Vettec product clinic held at Shur Shod Horseshoeing School where farriers attending the course were able to see what was happening in the feet and legs of a foundered horse before it was shod and the almost immediate improvement after it was shod using the Vettec products.

The changes are obvious even to the untrained eye in the before (above)
and after (below) of this horse who was shod using Vettec products.

Because of the immediate feedback provide by infrared digital imaging technology it doesn’t just excel at assisting in the diagnosis of hard to find problems such as soft tissue injury and nerve damage, it is also a useful tool in monitoring treatments for their effectiveness. “I use an alternative care practitioner for one of my horses,” says Tammy Thompson. “Many people are often skeptical about the effectiveness of their methods but using thermography I can see the difference the treatments are making and monitor the improvement. It lets me know if I am throwing good money after bad.”
You can find out more about infrared thermography for horses by visiting insideoutimaging.com.
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The above images may be downloaded from our website for use by media without change or alteration other than conversion to grayscale or resizing. To download the images go to http://www.insideoutimaging.com/media.htm.

Media Contacts
Lawrence Nault
1-877-638-3980
office@insideoutimaging.com
Box 32 Site 119 RR#3
Sundre, AB T0M 1X0

Kelly Case – Shur Shod Horseshoeing School
Kelly@shurshod.com
1-417-462-7848
2900 Bluebird Drive
Grovespring, MO 65662

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