Intramuscular Stimulation or IMS Therapy Calgary NW University Heights

What is Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS treatment)?

Do you ever have painfully tight muscles? Does it feel better with massage, but it just never totally goes away? Sometimes our muscles are “neurologically locked” which is to say, our nerves are telling them to be ON all of the time. While there may be a deeper underlying cause for that, IMS is a very effective hands-on approach to treating this kind of muscle.

Intramuscular Stimulation also known as dry needling or trigger point dry needling is a powerful treatment technique used to decrease muscle pain and improve muscle function. During IMS, medical acupuncture needles (commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine) are inserted directly into myofascial trigger points, otherwise known as muscle knots. When inserted into the appropriate location, IMS will literally make your muscles twitch. That muscle twitch is correlated with a decrease in muscle tension and pain relief, and an improvement in muscular function.

So, Why Exactly Would I Want To Do IMS Physiotherapy?

It can relieve chronic pain conditions, musculoskeletal pain, neuropathic pain (nerves malfunction), neck pain, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, joint pain, knee pain, pelvic girdle pain, sacroiliac joint pain, shoulder pain, soft tissue pain, muscle shortening, improve mobility, decrease muscle stiffness, improve muscle function (ie. strength and recruitment) and increase blood flow to heal sports injuries. With these effects, IMS can be used to treat a variety of conditions.

Does IMS Therapy Hurt?

It can cause minor irritation but you eventually look forward to it! After experiencing the relief and improvements that can be provided by IMS, most people look past the uncomfortable parts of the treatment plan. But yes, IMS can hurt during and after treatment.

The pain during treatment usually depends on how sensitive the area is to begin with. The pain afterwards usually only lasts about 24 hours and is comparable to getting a vaccination. Usually, light physical activity helps the pain to decrease at a faster rate.

Are There Risks to IMS?

There are risks to every effective treatment and IMS is no exception. Risks and benefits are discussed prior to your first treatment, by your experienced physiotherapist. If you want to know the details before coming in for treatment, we ask that you call our physiotherapy clinic and we will try to have a clinician answer your questions as soon as possible.