A new clinic in Winnipeg is offering patients thermography, a controversial diagnostic procedure that uses a digital infrared thermal imaging camera to record heat emitted by the body.

The technology is not endorsed by mainstream medicine, but Jocelyne Desaulniers, a partner in the Exchange District clinic, says her clients prefer it because it is non-invasive and does not use radiation, as do other diagnostic procedures such as mammography.

Desaulniers says areas of increased heat identified by thermography can point to possible health problems, such as breast diseases, before they show up in more traditional tests such as mammography.

"People who have a history and are worried and want to do everything that they can to detect early on if there is something is going on, people that are looking for a more natural approach as well, people who don't want the radiation aspect of the other tests — they would be more interested in this kind of diagnostic tool," said Desaulniers, who was trained in thermography techniques in the United States.

Rose Anne Skoropata, one of the clinic's clients, wants to be closely monitored for signs of breast disease, but not with the use of repeated radiation, so she was willing to pay the $250 charged for the thermography scan.

"If there is a change in the pattern, the heat pattern, in that area which they're screening, they can provide you with a report you can now take to your doctor — rightly or wrongly if they believe in it, because some do, some don't — and you can have it analyzed further," she said.

Manitoba's College of Physicians and Surgeons is not convinced of thermography's value, saying it lacks the specifics required for diagnosis.

The head of CancerCare Manitoba says the testing could be valuable, but only in conjunction with mammography and ultrasound, and only if it is rigorously tested through clinical trials.