Acupuncture & IMS
Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS)
Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) is a dry needling technique using acupuncture needles to treat neuropathic pain. The needle sites are at the epicenter of taut, tender muscle bands and near the spine where the nerve root has become irritated and super sensitive. Penetration of a normal muscle is painless; however, a shortened, super sensitive muscle will ‘grasp’ the needle in what can be described as a cramping sensation. The result is threefold. One, a stretch receptor in the muscle is stimulated, producing a reflex relaxation (lengthening). Two, the needle also causes a small injury that draws blood to the area, initiating the natural healing process. Three, the treatment creates an electrical potential in the muscle to make the nerve function normally again.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture stimulates the balance and flow of Qi energy that, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is considered essential to health. When the body is healthy, Qi (pronounced chee), flows smoothly through the meridians that make up a conceptual network of pathways throughout the entire body. When the balance or flow of Qi is deficient or obstructed it may be diseased or susceptible to illness. Acupuncture treats both the symptoms and the root causes of the patient’s illness. In western medicine the yin/yang balance it achieves is known as homeostasis. Acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins – the body’s natural pain-relieving neurohormones – through the insertion of needles into specific anatomical points (acupuncture points) to encourage natural healing. Atraumatic acupuncture needles are rounded at the tip so that they slide smoothly through tissue and are unlikely to cause bleeding. Needles are left in place for 15 to 30 minutes during which time the practitioner may manipulate the needles in order to strengthen or reduce the flow of Qi. Therapeutic effects include: pain relief, increased energy, improved mood, improved body function.
