Dry Needling/IMS

Dry Needling and Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) is a scientifically proven and effective method for treating chronic pain. Based on neurophysiological principles, IMS involves the insertion of thin needles adapted from traditional acupuncture into muscles that are tight or holding excess tension. The muscle grabs the needle or twitches and then relaxes fully which releases tension and pain and allows a window of opportunity for retraining movement patterns. Typically, therapists trained in dry needling and/or IMS learn how to palpate for over-active or “tight” muscles and then use needles to release the overactive tight muscles.

In ConnectTherapy™ & the Thoracic Ring Approach™, our Synergy Physio use dry needling and IMS techniques in a more targeted method. Dr. LJ Lee’s method involves a diagnostic process to determine which of your “tight” overactive muscles are the underlying cause of your problem, and which of those muscles are compensatory. The compensatory muscles are your own body’s way of trying to continue to function and will keep being “tight” until the correct, “relevant” muscles are released.

Thus, at Synergy your physio will determine where your Drivers are in your body, and then determine which tight muscles are the underlying cause of dysfunction of your Drivers. This is a more targeted clinical reasoning method rather than simply palpating for tight muscles.

It’s key that after needling release you use the new movement options gained to train new patterns of muscle activation – so exercises for your Drivers is key. In this way we treat your pain and teach you new movement strategies so your muscles don’t continue to develop excessive tension and pain.