Intramuscular Stimulation & Dry Needling
Our clinicians are specialized in IMS and have done research in neuropathic low back pain & served as a physio clinical lead in pain clinics.
IMS helps in solving pain from unknown sources, sometimes chronic pain or muscular origin type pain which can be tough to solve, but IMS is very effective in giving great relief. Medical tests can come back normal, but medical professionals may not have answers especially when there are no signs of inflammation.
Despite normal medical results you could still have pain and this pain from neuropathic or muscular origin are caused by nerve dysfunction or irritation.
When nerves are not functioning properly, they make the muscles shorten, tighten or weak leading to pain where the muscles are always feeling tight/stiff. IMS is very effective in these conditions.
What Is IMS?
Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) is a total system for the diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain syndromes (chronic pain conditions that occur in the musculoskeletal system when there is no obvious sign of injury or inflammation). IMS is grounded in Western Medical Science, and has a solid foundation in its radiculopathy model of pain, which is now supported by many experts in the field. It was developed by Dr. Gunn while he was a physician at the Worker's Compensation Board of British Columbia in the 70's, where he investigated the large number of mysteriously stubborn cases after frustration with the ineffective modalities at his disposal. The treatment, which utilizes acupuncture needles because they are the thinnest implements available that are designed to penetrate deep within muscle tissue, specifically targets injured muscles that have contracted and become shortened from distress.
How IMS Works On The Muscles
The treatment involves dry needling of affected areas of the body without injecting any substance. The needle sites can be at the epicenter of taut, tender muscle bands, or they can be near the spine where the nerve root may have become irritated and super sensitive. Penetration of a normal muscle is painless; however, a shortened, super sensitive muscle will ‘grasp’ the needle in what can be described as a cramping sensation. The result is threefold. One, a stretch receptor in the muscle is stimulated, producing a reflex relaxation (lengthening). Two, the needle also causes a small injury that draws blood to the area, initiating the natural healing process. Three, the treatment creates an electrical potential in the muscle to make the nerve function normally again. The needle used in IMS, by stimulating muscle spindles, essentially becomes a specific and unique tool for the diagnosis of Neuropathic Muscle Pain.
Conditions Treated By IMS:
- Myofascial Pain - Torticollis
- Fibromyalgia - Tennis Elbow
- Arthritis - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Tendonitis - Low Back Pain
- Headaches - Scoliosis
- TMJ - Spondylosis
- Whiplash - Piriformis Syndrome
- Neck Pain - Ischial Bursitis
- Upper Back Pain - Knee Pain
- Frozen Shoulder - Achilles Tendonitis
- Stomach Pain (in some cases)
Who Performs IMS?
IMS is performed by our certified trained physiotherapist and our therapist has done extensive research, published articles on myofascial pain and spinal pain in leading international journals.