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9. Q. Is IMS Painful?
A: The acupuncture needle is very fine - much finer than the hollow needle used to inject medicine or to take a blood sample. You may not even feel its penetration through the skin, or if you do, it's only a momentary prick. If your muscle is normal, the needle inside you is painless. However, if your muscle is supersensitive and contracted, and if the needle is correctly placed, you'll feel a peculiar sensation - like a charlie-horse or cramp. This is a distinctive type of discomfort, caused by the muscle grasping the needle. Patients soon learn to recognize and welcome it. They call it a "good" or positive pain because it quickly disappears and is followed by a wonderful feeling of relief and relaxation. The needle may still be in you, but because the muscle is no longer tight, you don't feel it anymore. Therefore, the needle itself is painless. What has happened is that the needle has caused your abnormal muscle tightness to be intensified briefly, and then released. It is important that you experience this peculiar sensation in order to have relief. Some patients may experience soreness or even occasionally some aggravation of their symptoms following treatment for up to several days, although these post-treatment symptoms typically diminish after the initial few sessions.
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DrGoodman@NorthwestIMS.com