How Does IMS Treatment Relieve Pain?

Intramuscular Stimulation, also known as IMS, is a new form of medical treatment that reduces muscle tightness and relieves pain. While the results are not immediate, over the course of a few months, IMS can drastically reduce chronic aches, nerve pain, and muscle tightness.

Some people suffer from muscle tightness or spasms, which is a reflexive response to stress or injury. When this happens, the body perceives the pain as an emergency and the muscles lock up due to a lot of tension and compression.

To relieve the pain caused by this phenomenon, therapists use IMS to address any tightness. But how exactly does IMS treatment relieve pain? And is it effective for everyone?

How Does IMS Relieve Pain?

With the use of dry needles, IMS works by targeting tight and shortened muscles, which often cause pain and discomfort throughout the body. If a muscle is tight, it's harder for the muscle to move. This can lead to pain in and around the joint and throughout the rest of the body.

With IMS treatment, a therapist applies controlled pressure using a dry needle to trigger a chain reaction that relaxes muscles and relieves pain. Treatment can be applied to any area of the body. The needle releases pressure on the muscle, causing the muscle to relax and lengthen, effectively reducing pain and muscle tightness.

Is IMS For Everyone?

IMS treatment is a relatively new form of medical treatment. As such, research on its efficacy and side effects is still largely unknown. Ultimately, if you have any questions or concerns about if you can receive IMS treatments, you should talk to a professional.

At RehabMAX Physiotherapy, we offer a wide range of services to help patients dealing with aches and pains.

Our University of British Columbia (UBC) trained physiotherapists have been providing quality physiotherapy in Surrey since 2001.

Our patients have found high levels of success in our treatment services, which include electrical stimulation, ultrasound, laser, spinal manipulation, soft tissue release, exercise prescription, acupuncture, intramuscular stimulation (IMS), and vestibular rehabilitation.