At South Okanagan Physiotherapy, our physiotherapists use dry needling and Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) to release tight, painful muscles and calm irritated nerves. We offer dry needling across our Osoyoos, Oliver, Grand Forks, and Penticton clinics, always as part of a full physiotherapy plan that gets you moving and keeps you moving.
What is Dry Needling & IMS?
Dry needling uses very fine, single-use, sterile needles to target trigger points: tight, tender knots in a muscle that can cause local pain or pain that travels to other areas. It is called “dry” because nothing is injected. Placing a needle into a trigger point often produces a brief twitch or cramp, after which the muscle relaxes, blood flow improves, and pain eases.
Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) is a type of dry needling based on the idea that chronic muscle tightness is often driven by irritated nerves near the spine. Along with needling the tight bands of muscle, your physiotherapist may needle the muscles beside the spine at the nerve level involved, treating both the source and the symptoms.
Unlike traditional acupuncture, which is based on meridians and the flow of Qi, dry needling and IMS are based on a Western, anatomical assessment of your muscles, nerves, and movement. Looking for traditional acupuncture? See our Acupuncture & IMS and Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture pages.
