IMS Dry Needling is a total system for the diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain syndromes. These are painful conditions that occur in the musculoskeletal system when there is no obvious sign of injury or inflammation.
IMS is grounded in Western Medical Science and has a solid foundation in its nerve model of pain, which is now supported by many experts in the field. It was developed by Dr. Gunn while he was a physician at the Worker’s Compensation Board of British Columbia in the 70′s. Dr. Gunn investigated a large number of mysteriously stubborn cases after frustration with the ineffective modalities at his disposal. The treatment specifically targets injured muscles that have contracted and become shortened from distress.
IMS relies heavily on a thorough physical examination of the patient by a competent practitioner, trained to recognize the physical signs of neuropathic pain. This physical examination is indispensable since chronic pain is often neurological as opposed to structural, and therefore, invisible to expensive X-rays, MRI Tests, Bone, and CT Scans. Failure to recognize these signs will result in an inaccurate diagnosis, and thus, a poor starting point for physical therapy.