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james097 -> Re: IMS - Intramuscular stimulation (March 19, 2006 11:00:00 AM)
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Shill, Nice to have an open mind, I wonder what you base your assumptions on that Intramuscular Stimulation is something that is cool enough sounding to make people spend good money on it. Perhaps it is not as popular in America as here as the PTs in the USA will, like manipulation, if you can use it at all, have to get a medical doctors permission or to have insurance pay. It's hardly a new treatment, I have been doing it for about 30 years and many PTs in Canada are qualified to practice it. It is nothing like the mystical acupuncture with it's QI and meridians and pulses but a comprehensive system for the diagnosis of the cause of musculoskeletal pain. It is based on anatomy, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology,and neurobiology, physiology and pathology, something PTs are most knowledgable about. In fact IMS belongs much more to Western medicine than Oriental. It is one of the ways of producing relief of chronic pain. Helen Travell MD was the person who introduced the phrase dry needling many years ago when she discovered that a dry needle was just as efficient in many cases as injecting a substance. So IMS cannot be comparted to acupuncture, needles are inserted not as indicated by charts and models but by what is indicated at examination using neuroanatomic points found in radicular or segmental patterns. Also unlike acupuncture both subjective and objective effects should be expected immediatly after treatment. If you click on to the orthopadic section in RehabEdge and read 'segmental facilitation' you would immediatly look for futher clues as to the patients peripheral neurological status. Cannon and Rosenblueth's Law of Denervation explains the autonomic and trophic manifestations of neuropathy and denervation sensitivity.
Professor Emeritus the late Patrick D.Wall FRS said of IMS "I would strongly object if anyone labelled this procedure as being complementary or alternative to traditional medicine...it requires a meticulous hands-on clinical examination of the individual patient. This initself is becoming a lost art in favour of supposedly effective high-tech methods".
Dr Chan Gunn has been teaching IMS in Vancouver and around the world including China and Korea for many many years. I did a refresher course a few years ago and most Americans attending were physicians the lecturers were PTs and Physicans including an American anaesthesiologist from the Multidisciplinary pain Center Washington School of Medicine. It is interesting to note that most PTs and others that I know who were educated in acupuncture eventually use IMS.
Doug, I would hardly be surprised if a patient had to be driven home after being needled, it isn't the most pleasant of treatments and not for all that are faint of heart!
Gunn CC, Milbrant WE, produced randomized trials and Gunn has written many papers and books.
If anyone has access to Bonica's Text Book on Pain you will be able to read of Gunn and IMS.
On the web seek Chan Gunn or istop.
Nari, what do you think?
Doug, see your house prices are rocketing up, the cheapest lots in West Vancouver are now aout the $950,000!
Jim McGregor
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