I have recently returned from a “business” trip to wonderful Vancouver. Aside from seeing that part of Canada for the first time, I also had the opportunity to complete my certification in IMS (intramuscular stimulation). After completing the first part of the course this past May, I have been looking forward to bringing all of this information together. The second part of the course did not disappoint.
Our first day of the course led off with a talk from Dr. Chan Gunn, the man who discovered this leading edge technique. Dr. Gunn explained how he discovered patterns in people with chronic symptoms when studying people on workers compensation in the 1970’s. He went on to explain the principles of neuropathic/radicular pain (for further explanation please see my earlier post). Upon completion of his talk, we began needling each other and further exploring the theory of IMS.
The rest of the course was spent reviewing IMS points from the first part of the course, finishing the unlearned points, and most importantly refining our assessment skills and ability to identify the characteristics of neuropathic pain. The instructors did a fantastic job of fulfilling the course objectives and made us all much more skilled practitioners. We accomplished a lot in the 3 days of the course, and even had enough time left over to enjoy dinner and drinks in some of Vancouver’s wonderful restaurants (for anyone who enjoys fine Indian cuisine I recommend Vij’s).
This course gave me another tool to help people dealing with various types of pain. As physiotherapists, we deal with a wide variety of conditions. IMS is an exceptionally effective technique to help people with chronic pain of various origins.
If you are interested in learning more about IMS, or would like to inquire about any other types of physiotherapy treatment, please feel free to contact us!