IMS Acupuncture
(for old pain and/or injury)
What is IMS?
IMS (Intramuscular Stimulation) is a specialized acupuncture treatment for chronic pain. Chronic pain may be defined as any pain that persists in the body longer than 2 months. IMS was pioneered by Dr Chan Gunn in Vancouver, BC, who received the Order of Canada for his contribution to the treatment of chronic pain worldwide. IMS provides effective relief of chronic pain for example back/neck pain, peripheral tissue injury (eg. overuse tendonitis and muscle strains), and headaches/migraines. IMS also diagnoses core muscle imbalance and can improve athletic performance by increasing core muscle function.
How Does IMS work?
IMS targets nerve through the portal of muscle. By focusing on the nerve, IMS provides effective pain or injury treatment for clients whose progress may have plateaued with Western therapies implementing a biomechanical model for healing such as physiotherapy, massage and chiropractics.
What is the mechanism of IMS?
Acupuncture needles are placed in specific muscle bands to release tension in muscles by triggering the muscle spindle reflex arc. The muscle spindle reflex resets the nerve that governs its normal muscle resting length. When normal resting length is restored to the muscles, the spine and peripheral body joints fall into natural alignment and position without the need for regular high velocity low amplitude manipulation which wears joints down. While muscle length is reset, the client experiences a brief cramping sensation which may be described as ‘uncomfortable’ but usually lasts only a few seconds until the muscle ‘lets go’.
What can I expect in an IMS treatment?
Treatments are once per week for 6-8 weeks. The course of treatment may vary depending on your various pain medications some of which may strongly alter the flow of normal nerve physiology. After the first session you will experience post-treatment soreness for 24-72 hours. This ‘hangover’ deep muscle aching is normal and due to the fact that your body is accommodating to a re-setting of its nervous system subsequently producing muscle-length shifting within the body. Your muscles will be deeply achy for 24-72 hours feeling like you have experienced a hard workout or the first skiing/snowboarding expedition for the season. While you are experiencing post-treatment soreness (24-72 hours) there are no imposed restrictions on your normal exercise routine. This is because the deep aching feeling in your body does not come from tissue injury but has its source in your body system accommodating to a restored natural muscle resting length and position from an IMS released nerve. However, most people prefer to take it easy with exercise during the post treatment soreness phase. Post-treatment soreness decreases with each session as your body becomes used to the IMS technique. IMS treatment results are noticeable within 2-3 sessions.
What pain/injuries can IMS fix?
- Back Pain
- Neck Pain
- Whiplash
- Shoulder pain/injury in the rotator cuff
- Core muscle weakness leading to back pain and peripheral injury
- Overuse pain/injury: Tennis Elbow,
Achilles tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel - Chronic Muscle Strains: Groin, Hamstring, Achilles, Calf strains
- Chronic Headaches and Migraines
- Plantar Fasciitis of the foot
$100 per session
