Intramuscular Stimulation
IMS is a safe and effective physiotherapy technique that uses small, thin needles to release tight, painful muscles and reset the nervous system. Most painful muscles are in a shortened state, often because of altered nerve input. The shortened muscles contribute to muscle imbalances, compression of joints, and restricted mobility, all of which contribute to pain and decreased function.
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The IMS Therapy Process
An acupuncture needle is inserted into the muscles (spots often described by patients as ‘knots’). This has multiple effects on the muscle including releasing muscle tension, stimulating tissue healing and “resetting” the nervous system.
To the patient it feels like a dull ache or pressure, followed by the sensation of release. Immediately after, patients notice that the muscles treated feel more relaxed, less sensitive and that mobility in the area is increased.
FAQ's
Here are answers to some of the commonly asked questions we get asked about Gunn IMS.
Through years of research, Dr. Gunn, the developer of IMS, concluded that a muscle becomes shortened (tight) when a nerve does not supply a muscle with enough electrical impulse.
The shortened muscle then puts further compression on the surrounding nerve(s), and a vicious cycle occurs, keeping the muscle tight and the nerve supersensitive. This supersensitivity leads to pain that may moves around or spread. It is often difficult to find relief of the pain day to day, and if the pain is relieved it tends to recur easily.
Muscles cross over jointsand discs in the spine; when they are chronically tight, they limit joint mobility and may contribute to degenerative conditions such as arthritis or degenerative disc disease.
As well, tight muscles will constantly pull on tendons resulting in conditions such as Achilles Tendonitis, Tennis Elbow and Rotator Cuff Syndrome. Furthermore, tight muscles will put compression on nerves, resulting in conditions such as sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome or a “pinched nerve”.
In IMS, a thin acupuncture needle is inserted into a tight muscle band or trigger point (often described by patients as “knots”). This has multiple effects on the muscle including releasing muscle tension, stimulating tissue healing and “resetting” the nervous system.
To the patient it feels like a dull ache or pressure, followed by the sensation of release. Immediately after, patients notice that the muscles treated feel more relaxed, less sensitive and that mobility in the area is increased. This essentially “jump-starts” the nerve and muscle function, resulting in a reflex relaxation and a ‘reset’ of the nervous system. Tissue healing is also stimulated, with increased blood flow to the area.
Most patients do not describe the sensation as pain, but as an unusual sensation with an overall feeling of pressure followed by “release”. Immediately after, patients notice that the muscles treated feel more relaxed, less sensitive and that mobility in the area is increased.
The effects of IMS are typically longstanding and are cumulative from treatment to treatment.
Gunn IMS is taught through UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and is an advanced technique restricted to experienced physical therapists.
It differs from other forms of dry needling and acupuncture.
