Dr. Gunn already has a medical degree from Cambridge, is a clinical professor at the University of Washington and is an inductee of the Order of BC and the Order of Canada...

Now he is also an honorary alumni of UBC! Congratulations Dr. Gunn!
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He will receive his award at a black tie gala at the Fairmont Waterfront on November 14 - should be quite a night!!!

 Iordan  Krouchev,  physiotherapist and instructor in Quebec's foundational dry needling course chatted with me about why he took the UBC Gunn IMS course and what it added to his clinical reasoning and dry needling technique framework.  

Iordan is a performance physiotherapist/rehabilitation specialist for Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and a dry needling instructor for the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec course Puncture physiothérapique avec aiguilles sèches. 
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Watch the ​ video of our chat below!

 Iordan's main take homes:

1. He had first heard about Dr. Gunn "years ago" as the ""patriarch"  of needling in North America"
2. He decided to do the Gunn IMS course after watching our instructor, clinical pain specialist Cory Choma,  speak about   how he used  Gunn IMS in his management of seven- time   Canadian champion  and three-time Olympian Neville Wright  at our annual UBC Chan Gunn  Lecture  on the Gunn  IMS members website -   watch the video that inspired Iordan below!
3. He was mainly drawn to the "general model" in terms of the  "overall    approach" - the "nervous system approach" ... "[the] global perspective"
4. He "enjoyed the [needling] protocols" and   expanded his needling approach    from both a    technical and anatomical standpoint
5. He noted the commonality between our two courses being "heavy on anatomy... and 3D anatomy"
6. He enjoyed integrating the Gunn IMS safety and precautions   protocols      with his existing knowledge
7. A key take home was the Gunn IMS concept of minimum effective dose - in terms of both reasoning and technique - "both go together"; and how   to   individualise [treatment] to the patient  
8. He summarised that he initially "[came] in for the model",  and also left with   "more technical and more reasoning" around the techniques he already used and how he needles

Watch the video of Cory Choma, Neville Wright and  Quin Sekulich (Strength and Conditioning Coach to Olympians)   that caught Iordan's attention about the Gunn IMS model

This is a perfect example of one of the signs we look for in the Gunn IMS approach that indicates segmental neuropathic dysfunction - a pattern of hair loss that can only be explained  by a problem with the segmental nerve supply to the affected tissue. Our model agreed to let us share a photo... (you know who you are - thank you!)

What causes this to happen?
How does it fit with the IMS model?
How do we use it to inform our treatment approach?
It's all explained by Dr. Gunn's model of neuropathic dysfunction.  To learn more, watch the video below  where our program director and instructor, Lyndal Solomons, explains the model, and why  dry needles are our first choice  for treatment for these sorts of problems.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qu%C3%A9bec_city_at_night,_view_from_L%C3%A9vis_city.jpg

Instructors Cory Choma, Susan Massitti and Dave Zelibka, and   Program  Director, Lyndal Solomons, spent   July  13-15th in Québec  City representing UBC Gunn IMS at the 2023 Canadian Physiotherapy Congress.  Thanks to everyone who popped by our booth to say "hi"!

Cory Choma  was an invited speaker, presenting his talk "Is treating the periphery "old school"? Bridging the gap between peripheral treatments and 'modern pain science'".

To watch a full version of Cory's lecture - scroll down to our Ottawa course post.

Lyndal (Chair), Susan (Secretary) and Dave (Website Representative) also serve on the executive of the Acupuncture and Dry Needling (ADN) Division of the CPA.  ADN Newsletter Editor, Gopika Athithan, also joined Lyndal, Susan and Dave representing the ADN Division at Congress - the first in-person Congress in 3 years  due to COVID restrictions - it was great to be able to spend time in-person together instead of just over Zoom!

Always such a joy to teach at Gunn!  A  wonderful group of students  - some back for Needling Review ... so great to see familiar faces again. Thanks  for spending the weekend with us everyone! Looking forward to seeing you back at Gunn for Part 2 in September. Happy Summer to all our  Spring/Fall cohort students in the meantime - see you all again   in   a couple of months!

Great time in Canada's capital - thanks for hosting us Ottawa!   Lots of fun with   a fabulous group of students  - thank you all!

Watch our instructor Cory Choma discuss this comcept in all its complexity in the video of our 2023 Chan Gunn lecture -  posted below...

Thanks so much for hosting us Edmonton! Lots of fun with our fantastic group of students - thank you all for a great weekend!  

For a complete answer to this question, watch our instructor,  Dave Zelibka,   and    Damian Warner, gold medal-winning Olympian of the 2020 Tokyo Games decathlon,   talk in detail about how they did it and won gold - it's all in the video of our 2020 UBC Chan Gunn Lecture posted below -   " The Making of the ‘World’s Greatest Athlete". 

​Another great day for the Gunn IMS community!   UBC Gunn IMS has spent years developing  a Members Only area of our website with a wealth of tools to support Gunn IMS practitioners in their practice. Today we launch the next generation of this  members area, with different levels of membership,    and welcome iSTOP members to the site. The members area includes:

• Needle technique updates
• Communication bulletins
• Clinical forms
• Online exams 
• Video content
• An ‘Ask-an-Instructor’ section to submit questions and read past responses
• A members discussion forum

Watch the welcome video from the UBC Gunn IMS Program Director,  Dr. Lyndal Solomons, to the new website community area -  all practitioners who were current  iSTOP members are now  instant IMS Level members!

​An exciting day for the Gunn IMS community! All iSTOP functions and members have joined the UBC Gunn IMS program. This is a natural transition that I am sure you will all welcome, particularly as it is the final step in the realisation of Dr. Gunn's long-term goal to make Gunn IMS part of a tertiary institution. Welcome iSTOP members!

Watch the interview between UBC Gunn IMS's Program Director,  Dr. Lyndal Solomons, and  Dr. Gunn talking about what it means to  Dr. Gunn for Gunn IMS to be part of the UBC Faculty of Medicine below! In this video, Dr. Gunn  also discusses Patrick. D. Wall's classic three types of pain.  In Dr. Gunn's textbook, "The Gunn Approach to the Treatment of Chronic Pain", Wall  described Dr. Gunn's  neuropathic model  of pain and its management as "...in the best of the traditions of classical medicine".

We are excited to announce our course schedule for 2023 with offerings in the following locations:

• Ottawa
• Edmonton
• Vancouver

Training for all spring courses begins with the successful completion of Part 1A which is online and self-paced. The next start date is April 3, 2023.

Check out our Course Calendar or Apply Now!

We have confirmed our spring course dates.  Location (TBA). We will be offering the following courses:

• Ottawa, Ontario, June 10-11, 2023 & September 16-17, 2023.
• Edmonton, Alberta, June 3-4, 2023 & September 9-10, 2023.
• Vancouver BC, June 24-25, 2023 & September 23-24, 2023.

Training for all fall courses begins with the successful completion of Part 1A which is online and self-paced. The next start date is April 3, 2023.

Check out our Course Calendar or Apply Now!

Olympic champion Damian Warner and his physio discuss the role Gunn IMS played in achieving gold!
Join Damian Warner and his physiotherapist Dave Zelibka as they look back at their nine-year journey to the top of the Olympic podium. In this dynamic discussion moderated by Senior Gunn IMS instructor Cory Choma they will examine:

• How they manage the delicate balance between training and recovery
• The benefits of using an injury prevention model instead of an injury treatment model
• Damian's first experiences with dry needling and how their approach evolved through trial and error
• How the Gunn IMS model helped Damian recover from and avoid overuse injuries throughout his career
• Why desensitization of the nervous system is a crucial component even in elite athletes
• How to incorporate dry needling into a complex training and competition schedule
• And much more

The discussion will be followed by 30-minute live Q&A dedicated to answering attendees' questions.

Registration deadline to register for our Part 1A self-paced online course is January 31

Due to the safety concerns provided by the current pandemic, it is a challenge to provide multi-day in-person needling courses across the country.  In response to these challenges we have adjusted the UBC Gunn IMS certification course to include both online and in-person components. The online components of training will be run throughout the winter and the in-person components are planned for the spring at our currently scheduled locations (subject to ongoing circumstances with the pandemic). In reformatting the course this way, the risk of disruption to training schedules is minimized and learning components that are not required to be done in person can be completed remotely.

The reformatted course is comprised of three parts – Part 1A, Part 1B and Part 2, and will cover all the material that was covered in the traditional UBC Gunn IMS Certification Course.

• Part 1A (online $1125) will run over the winter. It will include lecture material, training in the Gunn IMS neuropathic assessment, completion of the anatomy and theory exams, and the submission of a case study. This allows students to complete all the assessment requirements for certification, other than needling, over the winter.
• Part 1B (in-person $1250) is scheduled for the spring. It will include two days of assessment and dry needling skills.
• Part 2 (in-person $1250) will occur approximately two months after Part 1.  It will include two additional days of assessment and dry needling skills.

Courses are currently scheduled to take place in Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and the Greater Toronto Area (Burlington). Please see our course schedule for dates, course information for more details, or apply here for training.

*Please note that all Vancouver courses will follow the traditional model of 4 days in-person for part 1 and 3 days in-person for part 2. The online training is not applicable for Vancouver registrants.

We are still accepting applications for the following Part 1 courses:
Burlington, Ontario - October 10-13
Vancouver, BC - October 22-25
Regina, Saskatchewan - November 7-10
Edmonton, Alberta - November 19-22

UBC Gunn IMS COVID-19 safety protocols have been developed to allow our courses to run while allowing for physical distancing and safe practices. The protocols have been developed according to principles established by Canadian health authorities, provincial health ministries and the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

All UBC Gunn IMS COVID Safety Protocols have been submitted for review by the UBC Faculty of Medicine approval process for re-entry for in-person education activities and have been approved by UBC Faculty of Medicine Safety & Risk Services.

Considerations made relating to COVID safety on our courses include:

• Medical masks will be worn at all times by all course attendees
• When course attendees are within 2 metres of each other, medical masks and faceshields will be worn (all PPE will be provided to course attendees by UBC Gunn IMS)
• Provision of well-ventilated teaching spaces
• Observation of maximum allowable number of people in teaching spaces as per local health authorities
• Daily COVID screening per local health authority self-assessment guidelines

Learn more about our certification course or apply now for training

Updated May 9, 2020 - Added downloadable checklist

Can I treat patients with Gunn IMS right now during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Currently there are many health advisories in place outlining when physiotherapy and medical services requiring direct patient contact are appropriate, including the appropriate use of PPE. We all need to review the relevant federal, provincial and licensing college regulatory statements and act in a socially and professionally responsible manner - that is our individual responsibility as health practitioners. Once we have complied with the advisories related to providing direct patient care, either as physicians or physiotherapists, in a general sense, we then need to consider any dry needling-specific issues.

If I deem Gunn IMS treatment to be both indicated and appropriate for my patient, is it possible to provide COVID-free interaction surfaces (plinth, skin, gloves)?
Yes. Standard Gunn IMS protocol is that we disinfect the plinth surface between every patient with appropriate disinfectant, practitioners wash their hands and wear gloves disinfected with hand sanitizer, the patient's skin is disinfected with alcohol swabs, and the needles are sterile.

On February 29th the College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC) lifted the moratorium on applications to the dry needling roster.

There are only two institutions currently recognized by the CPTBC offering training for new applicants to register on the dry needling roster. UBC Gunn IMS is pleased to be one of them.

We have limited availability for  training commencing April 16th in Vancouver and are accepting applications. Our next training in BC is not scheduled to occur until October 22nd.

Please visit https://www.gunnims.com/certification.html for full details and to apply.
Full details from the CPTBC can be found here

Congratulations to all that completed their certification in Vancouver the past two weekends.

Congratulations to all those who took our training last weekend in Vancouver. Please see our course calendar for available upcoming courses.

We have updated our course schedule to include courses throughout 2020. There will be courses in Vancouver, Saskatoon, and Toronto next year as well as several Review/Advanced training courses.

We are open to running more. If you are interested in hosting a course in your area please contact us!

Congratulations to all those that completed our Review/Advanced training course at UBC last weekend. We commend your dedication and diligence to maintaining your skills and ensuring safe dry needling practices!