Intramuscular stimulation, also called IMS, is a physiotherapy procedure used to relieve muscle pain and tightening. Our pain relief clinic in Edmonton, Regenerate Shockwave Therapy, offers dry needle trigger point therapy to successfully treat a variety of chronic muscle conditions.
This painless procedure uses a IMS needle (similar to an acupuncture needle) to insert into the tight muscle to relieve its tension. It offers a variety of different benefits and pain relief. This is done when the needle enters the muscle it is able to send a message to the spinal cord to help reduce the tension in the muscle.
This article will tell you about all the key things you need to know about the procedure before choosing the right clinic for you. .
IMS procedure done by our expert physio technicians is done without injections
Intramuscular stimulation is a needling technique that is done without injecting anything into your body. IMS is also called dry needling, and our expert physio technicians wont inject any fluids into the body when performing this procedure.
IMS practitioners assess the problematic areas and decide what areas need to be stimulated to promote pain relief. This is often done by muscle strength testing and feeling the muscle for tight knots.
Often, these knots are trigger points and are good target areas to insert the needle. Once the needle is inserted into the trigger point, a small ache or twitch is felt. This twitch the the muscle relaxing and is often felt by an immediate releasing of pressure and tension.
You can expect to see improvement within 3 to 8 IMS sessions at our clinic, and all this achieved without injecting any liquids into your muscles.
What types of needles are used for IMS?
At our physiotherapy clinic, intramuscular situations treatment involves inserting a very thin needle called a filiform needle that can penetrate the skin and tissue without causing pain.
These needles are designed to stimulate muscles and tissues that are not accessible through other physiotherapy procedures. Since some needles are 75-100 mm, they are able to target some deep muscles such as the glute muscles and larger leg muscles.
They are known to be effective for stimulating painful muscles and reducing chronic pain in patients.
When is the intramuscular stimulation technique used?
IMS is usually combined with other physiotherapy procedures to achieve results, and when used with other pain relieving techniques, it can produce longer lasting results.
Since this technique is useful in deactivating pain trigger points, it is a treatment option that we use at our clinic to reduce muscle tension, reduce pain, improve motor endplate dysfunction, and other issues that can cause pain and limit movement.
How exactly does intramuscular stimulation work?
IMS technique works by stimulating trigger points and causing a reflexive relaxation in the muscle. Similar to a feedback loop, the IMS treatment works in a circular pattern.
Once the needle is inserted, it causes the nerve to send a message to the spinal cord, the spinal cord then takes this message and sends another message back to the muscle causing it to relax. It can also help blood flow to the trigger points, and this increased flow may result in better muscle functioning.
The dry needling technique also helps blocks pain signals to produce pain relief as the pain sensation is reduced by blocking the pain signals to the brain.
IMS is proven through research to be especially useful for lower back issues, and when combined with other treatments, it can produce significant pain relief.
Are you tired of looking online for the best physiotherapy clinic near me but can’t find a reliable clinic to get your IMS done? Just get in touch with us for all your physiotherapy needs.