Treat chronic or recurrent muscle pain with Intramuscular stimulation (IMS) or dry needling

The only thing worse than experiencing chronic or recurrent muscle pain is not knowing how to treat it.

Many people suffer from chronic musculoskeletal or neuropathic pain caused by nerve irritation or nerve dysfunction. When nerves are malfunctioning, the muscles they are connected to can become weak, tight and shortened—translation: painful. It feels like your muscles never relax.

The pain and stiffness that is experienced with chronic or recurrent muscle pain conditions may be eased by intramuscular stimulation or IMS.

What is intramuscular stimulation (IMS)?

Intramuscular stimulation (IMS) is a technique that physiotherapists, who have completed IMS certification, use to release or lengthen muscles that may be causing chronic musculoskeletal or neuropathic pain. Very fine needles (the same ones used in acupuncture) are inserted directly into the affected muscle, in order to stimulate healing. This is also often referred to, or known as, “dry needling.”

Vancouver-based physician Dr. Chan Gunn developed IMS in the ‘70s and now offers training and certification for other medical professionals at his Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain (ISTOP) at the UBC Gunn IMS Centre in the Division of Sports Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.

How needle therapy for muscles works

IMS treatment involves the insertion of acupuncture needles into tight muscle bands or close to the spine to target a compressed nerve root. The needle creates a tiny therapeutic injury, causing the muscle to grab onto the needle and cramp. This type of stimulation triggers a spinal cord reaction, allowing the muscle to finally relax and the nerves to function normally. The small wound also increases circulation, telling the body to send blood and healing materials and encouraging the healing process along that tightened muscle band.

Each IMS treatment is cumulative, providing restoration to the muscles until the entire area is healed and free of pain.

IMS treatment side effects

After receiving an IMS treatment from your physiotherapist, you may experience some soreness in the area, but it is usually mild and goes away within 24 hours, leaving you with less pain and more functionality.

Since IMS specifically targets chronic musculoskeletal pain, it’s not an effective treatment for other types of pain such as chronic inflammatory pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, cancer pain, metabolic neuropathies (i.e. diabetes) and degenerative neurological conditions (i.e. Parkinson’s disease).

IMS is not a recommended course of treatment if you are pregnant, have had a recent surgery or local infection.

IMS vs. acupuncture

IMS and acupuncture may seem similar because they use the same instruments, very fine needles. However, the two are quite different techniques.

Acupuncture is a technique that stems from Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, focusing on meridians of energy that run through your body and the effect they have on different organs, muscles and more. An acupuncturist will insert a series of needles around a certain point and leave them in, typically for around 10-20 minutes. People often describe the acupuncture experience as calming and relaxing. Combined with other forms of physiotherapy, acupuncture can be a very effective treatment for acute pain or ongoing inflammation.

While acupuncture has been around for hundreds of years, IMS is a relatively new development that is based on conventional western medicine physiological and anatomical knowledge. It specifically targets areas of chronic pain and muscle dysfunction. Those areas are identified by your physiotherapist during an initial assessment and then stimulated by a needle that is left in for only a short time. While acupuncture can be relaxing, IMS is often a more intense experience.

IMS is not better than acupuncture. It’s just a different technique used to treat different conditions and types of pain.

Additional resources

Learn more about the difference between traditional acupuncture and IMS treatment

Not sure if your pain is acute, chronic or recurrent? Find more pain explanations

Read about the history and current training techniques of Dr. Chan Gunn’s intramuscular stimulation at his Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain (ISTOP)