Donna Marie has been a nurse practitioner in Women’s Health for more than 20 years. Her passion for the health of women comes from the loss of her own mother to breast cancer 3 months shy of her 4th birthday, (Her mom was 33), and the reality of being the mom of a young woman who grew up in Marin County.
She has worked in many different venues from Planned Parenthood, to the student health center at San Francisco State, from the osteoporosis research clinic at UCSF to private practice. It has been an inspiring and highly educational journey.
Everywhere she has gone, her fascination with integrative therapies has grown, and she has watched many of her patients do well with an integrative approach. This caused her to want to become more knowledgeable about these therapies.
Her interest was so peaked that she became a certified massage therapist and a certified biofeedback specialist. She has also studied kinesiology, women’s nutrition and Touch for Health and is currently studying hypnotherapy.
When she was introduced to thermography and saw its value as a screening tool and early warning test for breast cancer, she trained as a technician in order to provide this important service. Her goal is to reach out to the community in order to educate the public about thermography and it’s place in health care today.
Breast thermography is digital infrared imaging of the breasts. A photo is taken which shows a “heat map” of the breasts. Cancerous tumors may present as “hot spots” in these photos (known as angiogenesis). Thermography enables us to detect these “hot spots” thus giving early warning that a breast cancer may be forming. Research over the past 20 years has shown that EARLY DETECTION is the key to surviving breast cancer. However, PREVENTION is ultimately the goal and THAT is what will save lives and end our battle with this disease. Thermography gives vital information that allows a woman the opportunity to reduce risk factors, make life-style changes, and monitor her breast health more closely. With the support of her health care practitioner, each client becomes more pro-active in her own health maintenance.
Thermography may also be helpful in screening for other imbalances in the body. These include thyroid, circulatory issues, chronic pain syndromes, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, and digestive issues to name a few. Consult with your health care provider or call Donna Marie to see if this testing would be appropriate for you.
All of the scans done here at Whole Health Associates are interpreted by William Amalu, DC., a Board Certified Thermologist and engineer with 15 years experience in the field of Thermography. For more information about Dr. Amalu click here: www.breastthermography.com