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Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS)

February 1st, 2012

What is IMS?

Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) is, simply put, the insertion of needles into chronically tightened muscles. Inserting needles into tender and tight muscles has been around for thousands of years within the practice of acupuncture. However, most physiotherapists who are trained in IMS practice Chan Gunn IMS, which has it’s roots in acupuncture but is a more complex and comprehensive system of assessment and treatment than the simple insertion of needles into muscles.

Dr. Chan Gunn of Vancouver, B.C. spent many decades studying and developing this system of IMS and has received both the the Order of BC and the Order of Canada for his research in chronic pain.

He describes IMS as “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)”.

How does it work?

IMS relies heavily on a thorough physical examination of the patient by a competent practitioner, trained to recognize the physical signs of neuropathic pain. A Chan Gunn IMS practitioner has gone through extensive training to recognize the signs of neuropathic pain as most diagnostic tools such as X-rays, MRI’s and CT scans will not pick up such abnormalities.

The treatment involves the insertion of dry needles into muscles that have chronically tightened due to nerves that behave abnormally. 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 goal of the treatment is to release the tight muscles that may be pressing on nerves and to reestablish a normal relationship between the muscle and the nerve or nerve root that innervates it. Even though IMS seems to affect the muscle the most, it can actually treat the underlying neuropathic condition that has caused the persistent, chronic pain in the first place.

Who can benefit from IMS?

If you have had long lasting, persistent, chronic pain that has limited your function you may be a good candidate for IMS.  However, it is always necessary to have a thorough assessment to determine if IMS would be the right treatment choice for a patient.

Even if someone may be a good candidate, IMS is contraindicated if the following conditions are present:

• pregnancy
• bacterial endocarditis
• systemic infection
• fever
• localized infection
• uncontrolled bleeding disorders

More information

If you would like to find out more about IMS, please go to Dr. Chan Gunn’s website.
He has some very detailed information about the practice of IMS and what you can expect during, after and as a result of IMS treatments.

If you would like to book an appointment for an IMS assessment, please call our clinic at 604-526-2111.