If you have chronic lower back pain, poor posture, sciatica, range of motion problems, or muscle pain, Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) might just be the treatment for you! Using small needles, IMS directly targets your tense muscles and helps them relax letting both them and you destress. Premier Care Physiotherapy has a trained and qualified team that provides IMS treatments in Richmond Hill to help you finally get past your muscle pain and strain. 

Overview of IMS

IMS stands for Intramuscular Stimulation and also goes by the name dry needling. This technique uses tiny dry needles to stimulate trigger points on your muscles, diagnose and treat neuromuscular pain and movement deficits. 

IMS can also be used to both diagnose and treat the pain of neuropathic origin, these conditions can arise from when nerves malfunction after an injury or tissue stimulation. The treatment is relatively easy, during a session multiple muscles can be treated. Intramuscular Stimulation is an accumulative treatment that provides lasting relief so you will be feeling the effects after one session.

Isn’t it Just Acupuncture?

Dry needling may use the same kind of needles, yes, but it differs from acupuncture in many ways and does not originate from Chinese acupuncture. 

For IMS only one needle is inserted at a time and not left in for an extended period like acupuncture needles are. Acupuncture needles can be left in for upwards of 20 minutes and do not target muscles, acupunctures focus is to use remote points on your body based on energy flow and Chinese philosophy. IMS focuses directly on specific muscles and uses the needles to stimulate and release the tension directly. 

What Conditions Can IMS Treat?

IMS is a very successful treatment for people with issues with chronic lower back pain, sciatica symptoms, and more! Since this treatment directly targets the muscle, dry needling isn’t restrained to just one area of the body and can treat a range of different painful and uncomfortable symptoms such as:

• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Patellofemoral pain & knee pain
• jaw pain 
• Slipped or bulging discs
• Degeneration of joints
• Osteoarthritis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Tennis elbow
• Recovery from ankle sprains
• Whiplash after a car accident
• Movement recovery after surgery or a broken bone
• Headaches and migraines
• Shoulder dislocations
• Poor posture problems
• Sciatica
• Tendonitis
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Achilles tendonitis
• Shin splints

Am I a Good Candidate For IMS?

Intramuscular Stimulation is generally recommended for people who:

• Have a myofascial dysfunction
• Have tried acupuncture or other physiotherapies with little to no improvement 
• Have neuropathic pain
• Are not pregnant
• Struggle with muscle pain
• Have a reduced range of motion
• Do not have a history of Hemophilia
• Do not struggle with Trypanophobia

What Can I Expect After an IMS Session?

Intramuscular Stimulation does not have any lasting negative effects. After a session, you might find you’re tense and a bit sore but once it clears up you’ll likely feel much better than you did before. 

This happens because the needle is directly stimulating your tense muscle to activate it so the muscle is reacting to stimulation. Basically, IMS stimulates your tense taut muscles and after your muscles are stimulated and fully relaxed, you’ll feel the reduction in pain, and increased range of motion.

If you are going for multiple treatments, it’s recommended to wait at least a week in between appointments so your muscles and the areas where your skin was pierced have time to fully heal giving you the best possible results. 

If your muscles are especially tense then you might find that having multiple sessions is ideal to fully help the problem area. Factors that might increase your ideal amount of IMS treatments can be duration or age of injury, the extent of your symptoms, and/or scar tissue covering the area making the skin hard to properly pierce.

IMS Provides Noticeable Results For a Range of Pain Disorders

With the range of different muscle injuries, strains and stresses, Intramuscular Stimulation can treat you’ll find that its a worthwhile investment in your future health and condition. 

Whether you have chronic pain, are recovering from an accident or surgery, or find yourself with a reduced range of motion IMS can restore your muscles and help you feel like you again!

Contact Premier Care Physiotherapy to learn about how this treatment can treat your chronic pain safely and effectively.