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7. Q. How Does The Technique Of IntraMuscular Stimulation Work?
"It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience."
-- Julius Caesar
A. A very fine flexible pin is inserted into the taut myofascial bands within various muscles (hence IntraMuscular), the purpose of which is similar to that which is obtained by your doctor when (s)he taps on your knee reflex, which causes your leg to kick out (hence Stimulation, thus IntraMuscular Stimulation, IMS). On a much smaller scale, now only a portion of the muscle reflex is triggered and the muscle fibers shorten and grasp the needle, which after variable amounts of time releases its hold on the needle which is then removed and placed in another location. Usually one, and sometime two needles are used simultaneously, and occasionally a small electric current is passed through the needle to facilitate the muscle relaxing.
In addition to the immediate effect of stimulating spinal reflexes, the needle produces very small tears in the cell wall of some of the muscle fibers. These injuries initiate a type 2 pain response, which, as previously discussed, is identified by the classic inflammatory process. Accompanying this response is a measurable micro-current of electricity that was first discovered by the famous 18th century scientist Galvani, who called it the 'current of injury'. This phenomenon is actually a critical component of healing, and sometimes patients who have difficulty in forming a solid union at the site of a bone fracture require externally applied electrical bone stimulators to augment an inadequate 'current of injury' and facilitate bony fusion. In the case of IMS, the 'current of injury' established at multiple sites within the muscle(s) treated enhance and prolong the stimulation of nerve pathways for several days after treatment, and may be thought of as 'numerous tiny internally applied nerve stimulators', batteries included. Indeed, the most recent research reveals an intimate connection between the nervous system and the inflammatory process, called the 'inflammatory reflex', indicating that healing involves a coordinated response of both systems.
DIAGRAM SHOWING THE RESTING SURFACE ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL
AT VARIOUS POINTS ON THE BODY & THE 'CURRENT OF INJURY'
CREATED BY THE 'INFLAMMATORY REFLEX'
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DrGoodman@NorthwestIMS.com