What is IMS?

IMS stands for intramuscular stimulation. This technique can restore normal nerve and muscle function after an injury. The IMS technique was largely developed by Dr. C. Chan Gunn, MD. It involves the insertion of acupuncture needles into tight and injured muscle tissue.

Nerves and muscles work together to help your body move normally. When nerves become irritated or damaged either by trauma or chronic compression, the muscles can become weak and painful. This condition is known as neuromyofascial pain. In this condition, the muscles develop knots and bands known as trigger points and motor bands. These areas can cause pain and other sensations such as tingling and numbness to be experienced in distant sites, such as the arms, hands, legs and feet.

During IMS, tiny needles are inserted into the area of the muscle most supersensitive due to the nerve problem. While the procedure uses the same needles as Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, the technique is very different.  IMS is similar to trigger point injection, but without the need to inject any foreign medication into the muscle. This is also called "dry needling" and has been shown to have a similar therapeutic effect. It is the needle and not the medication that produces the effect.

Neuromyofascial pain causes certain portions of the muscle to become locked and neurologically hypersensitive. This makes the whole muscle weaker, because these areas are not participating in normal muscle contraction. Research shows that this can be reversed by stimulating the muscle.