Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS)
This Western medicine needling technique was developed by Dr. Gunn who termed "neuropathic" pain and found through his research that IMS was a very successful treatment option for chronic pain syndromes and neuropathic pain. There are nerve roots at each level of the spine, and when these structures get inflamed and irritated, it can affect their signalling to muscles causing them to shorten or contract. These contracted muscles can lead to pulling on tendons as well as joint compression, increased wear and tear and degeneration resulting in "local" conditions such as osteoarthritis and tendonitis. As a result, an incorrect diagnosis and treatment may be followed by focussing on the "messenger" of the pain ie) the tendonopathy or osteoarthritic joint, and not the primary messenger ie) the irritated and sensitized spinal nerve root.
How does it work?
The treatment itself involves the use of single-use sterile acupuncture needles. Nothing is injected into the tissues. If the needle is applied and you feel no pain–then muscle is functioning normally. When the nervous system is not supplying a muscle normally, often the muscle will shorten and when the needle is inserted the muscle will respond by grabbing the needle, causing an aching, and/or twitching in the muscle fibers: This sensation is the shortened muscles releasing. After treatment, the muscles may feel sore for a day or two before you experience relief.
conditions it treats
IMS treats chronic pain syndromes as well as neuropathic pain by releasing tight muscles thus improving correct biomechanics and improving nerve transmission. However, when the tissues do not appear damaged yet there is pain (for instance with whiplash or tennis elbow), this pain is more difficult to treat.
TREATMENT
The effects are cumulative and normally require treatment once every 1-2 weeks in order to see improvements. There are many variables to consider when determining duration of treatment and length of time for recovery including the severity of the condition, the chronicity of the condition, if there is scar tissue build-up post-surgery, a patient's age which affects the condition of their nerves and their healing capacity. If the patient is experiencing a recent onset of pain, one treatment may resolve the issue.
CAUTION
This treatment would not be appropriate if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant; if you have had recent surgery; in an arm that has had lymph nodes removed secondary to breast cancer; or if you are feeling unwell at the time of treatment. Please notify your practitioner if you are taking blood thinners.
POST-TREATMENT
When you return home:
Application of warm heat has been shown to help alleviate post-needle soreness.
Avoid anti-inflammatories. such as NSAIDs (Motrin, Ibuprophin, Advil etc) will help promote a successful treatment result, as the needling procedure causes a mild amount of inflammation in the tissues to encourage your body's natural healing response.
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