INTRAMUSCULAR STIMULATION OTTAWA

A broad range of musculoskeletal problems are now successfully treated using the relatively new technique of Intramuscular Stimulation. We can treat a variety of ailments using IMS including:

• Achilles tendonitis
• Arthritic conditions
• Chronic Tendonitis or Bursitis
• Headaches
• Low back pain
• Myofascial Pain Syndrome
• Neck pain and whiplash
• Patellofemoral syndrome
• Plantar fascitis
• Recurrent or Persistent Injuries (including sports injuries)
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Sciatica/piriformis syndrome
• Shin splints
• Shoulder injuries (including frozen shoulder)
• Spinal disc problems
• Tennis/Golfers elbow
• TMJ pain
• Torticollis

Conditions That IMS Is Not Effective For

• Chronic inflammatory pain (active arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis)
• Pain related to cancer
• Metabolic neuropathies (diabetes)
• Degenerative neurological conditions (Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease)

If you have one of these conditions, it is unlikely that IMS will be able to help the pain.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IMS IS NOT EFFECTIVE FOR NON-MUSCULOSKELETAL BASED PAIN, SUCH AS THE FOLLOWING:

• Chronic inflammatory pain (active arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis)
• Pain related to cancer
• Metabolic neuropathies (diabetes)
• Degenerative neurological conditions (Lou Gehrigs’s disease, Parkinson’s disease)

If you have one of these conditions, it is unlikely that IMS will be able to help the pain.

HOW TO DETERMINE WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR INTRAMUSCULAR STIMULATION TREATMENTS

To determine the source of pain and the best approach to treatment, our physiotherapists at the Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics (IMS practitioners) perform a complete assessment including a medical history and physical tests. Once a full history and physical assessment is completed, your therapist will let you know if you are a good candidate for treatment or if you should consider other treatment alternatives. If you are a good candidate for IMS treatment, sessions are usually scheduled once per week to allow time for the body to heal between sessions. The number of sessions required varies, depending on factors such as length of time a problem has been present, age and general health. In published studies of patients with low back pain, the average number of IMS treatments required was 8.2. In some cases, especially if the pain is of recent onset, one or two treatments may be sufficient.

Qualifications Required to Provide IMS Treatment

IMS is practiced in Ontario by Certified Gunn IMS Practitioners (CGIMS) who are either Physical Therapists or Medical Doctors.

Will My Doctor Know About Intramuscular Stimulation?

It is quite possible that your family physician is not familiar with IMS, as they are bombarded with a huge variety of medical conditions and treatment options that they must keep up to date on.

How to Access Intramuscular Stimulation Treatment

If you think you have a condition that may benefit from IMS, simply make an appointment with one of our IMS qualified physiotherapists Ottawa. They will assess you and will offer you advice on the best approach to treating your condition, and can answer any further questions that you may have. You do not need a doctor’s referral to see a physiotherapist in the province of Ontario, but if you have a referral, please bring it with you. Just call one of our eight Barrhaven physiotherapy, Kanata physiotherapy or Westboro physiotherapy locations and we will book you an appointment for your first consultation.

For further detailed information on IMS, please browse the website for the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain at www.istop.org