Stimulation intramusculaire

Common types of pain and conditions treated with IMS include:

• Headaches
• Back pain
• Whiplash
• Tennis elbow
• Frozen shoulder
• Chronic aching or burning pain
• Limited range of motion
• Stiffness in muscles and joints

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 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.