East Toronto Orthopaedic & Sports Injury Clinic and Trilogy Physiotherapy have partnered in order to provide you with the experienced and skilled care you deserve.
Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) is a dry needling technique that is a special form of acupuncture used in the treatment of myofascial and neuropathic pain.
How Does it Work?
IMS treatment focuses on addressing tightened bands of muscle called trigger points, that cause chronic and painful conditions.
Once the connective tissue of a muscle or group of muscles is injured, healing stimulation is needed to correct the injury. Acupuncture needles are inserted at precise spots within these shortened muscles to loosen and lengthen the tissue.
In order for the body to move freely, the nerves and muscles must work in cooperation. When nerves become inflamed or are damaged, the muscles directed by those nerves become weakened and tender. This can be part of the condition referred to as neuropathic pain.
Treatment
During IMS treatment, knots within the muscles are loosened by targeting specific points along the muscle bands surrounding the centre of pain and the affected segments.
IMS treatment succeeds in addressing soreness even in cases where there are limited discernible indications of tissue damage or inflammation, such as for tennis elbow, whiplash, headaches, frozen shoulder, and other chronic pain issues. Regular IMS can be effective in easing chronic pain and muscle dysfunction by locating and treating knots in the deepest muscles.
When an IMS needle is inserted into a normal muscle supplied by a healthy nerve, there is little to no discomfort. However, when a needle targets an area in the muscle that is sore and tight, there can be cramping and tenderness.
Recovery
Patients often feel immediate improvement in the treated areas.
Sometimes a low level of discomfort is felt for a few days following the IMS treatment procedure, though this should be followed by less soreness, increased range of movement, and better overall functioning. Upon completion of a group of sessions, many patients report a full recovery of the condition and complete relief from pain in the treated areas.
To book an appointment, Call Us today at 416-691-3943 or contact us here.
Our Registered Massage Therapists
Maddie Hunt – Registered Massage Therapist
Treela Smith – Registered Massage Therapist
Nancy Brooks – Registered Massage Therapist
Charlene Travas – Registered Massage Therapist
Vincent Arpojia – Registered Massage Therapist
Brenda Ling – Registered Massage Therapist
Robert Small – Registered Massage Therapist
Frequently Asked Questions About IMS & Dry Needling
What procedures should you follow after IMS treatment?
It is normal to experience some soreness for 24 to 48 hours after an IMS treatment. It normally feels like you have done a hard workout at the gym. It may be helpful to continue normal physical activity and drink lots of water to help reduce soreness.
Is IMS and dry needling the same?
Both IMS and dry needling are interchangeable terms used for a treatment technique that involves using an acupuncture needle to generate a localized twitch response in an overactive muscle to treat pain of a neuropathic origin.
What happens when dry needling hits a nerve?
When a nerve is accidently struck with an acupuncture needle, the patient may experience a sharp electrical sensation at the point of entry that extends down its distribution (ex. If you strike the sciatic nerve in the buttock it is possible to experience pain down the back of the leg that extends in to the foot). Typically this discomfort only lasts for a second.
How often should dry needling be done?
Treatment frequency is normally 1-2x per week depending on patient response.
What is the difference between dry needling and acupuncture?
Dry needling is a modern science based treatment technique that targets myofascial trigger points for the treatment of pain and movement disorders. Acupuncture is an element of traditional Chinese medicine that focuses on Chi flow, or energy, along meridians in the body. Dry needling is a dynamic technique that incorporates the use of a single needle to stimulate affected tissues, while acupuncture typically involves several needles that are left in place for up to 20 minutes.
How long do the benefits of dry needling last?
The purpose of dry needling intervention is to modify nervous system patterns that drive complex movements. Treatment tends to have a cumulative effect, becoming most impactful after 3-6 sessions. You may experience relief for weeks afterwards. In order to have permanent change, a specific graduated exercise program is required to normalize the movement patterns that caused the issue in the first place.
What are the risks for dry needling?
The most common risks associated with dry needling are temporarily increased pain or discomfort that lasts for 24-48 hours, bruising or bleeding at the treatment site, skin reactions, fainting and fatigue. The more serious, but very rare risks include infection and pneumothorax (collapsing of a lung due to needle puncture).
Y Leung
2024-12-23
This is a great place to take your classes or exercise therapy. I was there for the GLA:D exercise programme led by Sarah Phillips. She was clear, concise and encouraging when needed. The reception staff are friendly and professional. All in all, a very good experience and convenient location too.
Tahira Gonsalves
2024-12-09
Trevor was great! He provided detailed information (which I asked for 😀) to understand my injury (damaged ligaments on my foot), and provided a very reasonable and doable exercise/physio regimen, which he adjusted as my recovery progressed. Staff at the clinic are also lovely! Thank you!
Cindy Tavener
2024-12-09
Great place -Everyone from front desk to my physio Nikhil very focused on my needs.
Nikhil was also a great listener we made a care plan and both reviewed my progress as i healed he was also open to my suggestions.I will be happy to return if /when injured again.
Baran Akpınar
2024-11-29
I had the pleasure of working with Sarah Phillips through my recovery from a torn Achilles. She kept me informed at every stage, explained what to expect, and adjusted my therapy to overcome any challenges. Thanks to her expertise, I made consistent progress and had an excellent overall recovery at the end.
Beyond her skill, Sarah’s warm and friendly personality made every session enjoyable and motivating. I highly recommend her to anyone in need of expert, compassionate physiotherapy care.
Michelle Hachey
2024-11-06
My good friend recommended me to the Dr. was very honest and very helpful in telling me what to go going forward. Gave me exercises to do at home. How to handle stairs with less pain.
Would highly recommend him if you are in pain of any kind. Very helpful and near public transit.
Naeem Toronto
2024-11-02
I am going to participate in program from Monday,Nov 03,2024
Elaine Gergolas
2024-10-26
I booked a series of appointments to try and establish a good therapeutic schedule and after the first one the therapist insisted I come back to see her earlier than planned - which I did... booking a 45 minute follow-up that turned into a distracted 20 minutes of her note taking... they did adjust the billing to reflect a 30 minute session but it was not an auspicious start.
Then I received a garbled voicemail that seemed to cancel my third appointment - which I had booked a month in advance. It blamed the error on someone at the clinic who forgot to update the schedule... but both my follow-ups to confirm / reschedule were completely ignored.
Consider another company or at least another location...
VR S
2024-10-18
the staff is just awesome, I was having pain in my shoulder which few other places were not able to figure out, Danny spotted the cause and fixed the problem. I am thankful to him and East Toronto Orthopaedic staff from the bottom of my heart
