"Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment."           -- Will Rogers

A: Over the course of  treatment to the appropriate muscles, the nerves function gradually improves and the muscles return from a state of 'super-sensitivity' to 'normal sensitivity', but notice they are not 'desensitized' as is the approach in procedures like 'nerve blocks'. This normalization of nerve function is accompanied by a reversal of the muscle shortening, which complimented by a stretching program allows them to resume their normal resting length, and the pain diminishes. The treatments are sometimes augmented as noted above, with small electrical currents, and it is helpful to limber the muscles before IMS with deep heat (diathermy), low energy lasers, and/or electrical muscle stimulation. In addition to stretching, it is sometimes useful to have patients apply surface electrical muscle stimulators between treatment sessions.

Each IMS treatment re-stimulates and improves nerve impulse function along with decreasing super-sensitivity of the muscles. The pre-existing severity and duration of neuropathy, as well as scarring, especially post-surgical, will determine the extent to which the nerves and muscles can recover. The number of treatments necessary is highly variable and is generally related to the severity of the underlying neuropathy.