Intramuscular Stimulation also commonly referred to as IMS, is a highly effective treatment which uses a dry needling technique to provide therapy to an irritated nerve which results in musculoskeletal pain symptoms.
Technically speaking, an irritated nerve is termed as “neuropathy” which is defined as a nerve that is not functioning properly which results in pain, numbness, or tingling in the area.
What exactly is dry needling? It is the treatment of the irritated nerve with thin needles inserted into the affected area. The insertion causes the muscles to contract at its full capacity then its followed by a complete relaxation of the muscles. The IMS stimulation causes a “reset” of the muscles which then in turn provides a reduction of pain in the affected area and more blood into the area. This blood flow stimulates the area to further quickly heal!
IMS is a highly attractive option because its results can be seen quickly and the results are further strengthened when combined with proper exercises and joint manipulations which are given specific to your individual neuropathic disorders by your physiotherapist.
Intramuscular stimulation can have noticeable results surprisingly at times in just one session where the pain has been a long-standing issue for the client. It is not designed to be used without exercises or hands-on treatment and it will generally take more than one session. Realistically it will take at least 3-4 sessions of IMS for long- term healing with hands-on treatment, exercises for home, ergonomic advice, beneficial posture techniques and/or take home materials.
What differentiates our clinic from others in the world of IMS? Our clinic’s founder Ranko Vukovic is qualified in the highly-regarded Gunn IMS dry needling technique which has been designed for both doctors and physiotherapists by Dr C. Chan Gunn which is delivered at UBC. This technique method is differentiated from trigger point dry needling as it’s based on Dr C. Chan Gunn’s findings on how these irritated muscles should be treated by the way his approach looks at both the diagnosis and treatment of the irritated nerve. The Gunn IMS dry needling approach is considered the gold standard by many physicians and physiotherapists.
Needles sound painful, does it hurt? No, the needles that are used are very, very, tiny and most people don’t even notice the needles or are pleasantly surprised at how little they feel when the needle is interested. You will feel your muscles twitch with no pain. There can be some mild discomfort or soreness in the treated area for a few hours after the treatment but once that wears off (if it is even there). Once it wears off the difference in pain reduction can be felt by our clients.
So this is why at VanCity Physio we’re passionate about IMS! Intramuscular stimulation is a highly-effective and a science-based therapy which resets your muscles which stimulate more blood flow to the affected area. This results in a reduction of pain and with home exercises,
changes of behavior or hands-on physiotherapy long-standing healing for our clients! Come see us and try it for yourself!
Book a consultation today: https://vancityphysio.com/ And follow us on Instagram: VanCity Physio (@vancityphysiotherapy)
