Gunn IMS Certification Program
2023-24 Fall/Winter Cohort
Calgary, Burlington, Montreal, Vancouver

​University-Accredited Dry Needling Training
​Setting the Standard for Safety and Effectiveness Since 1994

REGISTration ongoing until your Part 1B

Part 1A (Online) Material must be completed within 12 months for certification to be awarded

Look beyond trigger point dry needling to address the cause of persistent musculoskeletal pain!

Are you frustrated treating patients  who flare up or get worse regardless what approach you provide?
Do you have patients  who don't respond  "as they should" to exercise or manual therapy?
Are you interested in learning a unique  approach that can help your patients reduce pain and return to function?

Our 3-part course will teach you:

• How to understand and identify    underlying nervous system dysfunction
• How dry needling   can positively alter nervous system sensitization 
• To look beyond  local tissues when treating orthopaedic conditions​​​

You will gain these skills:

• ​​A thorough and cohesive assessment method to  guide your treatment
• Safe and effective dry needling techniques to  treat 110 different muscles
• The  rationale to choose  appropriate  dry needling "dosage" to optimally alter neuropathic dysfunction​

What is Gunn Intramuscular Stimulation (Gunn IMS)?

Dr. Chan Gunn was a visionary in understanding how alterations in the nervous system can lead to complex musculoskeletal dysfunction. He demonstrated that intramuscular dry needling can beneficially effect the sensitivity of the nervous system and improve treatment outcomes for musculoskeletal pain syndromes.   Through decades of refinement, his rationale and treatment techniques are used today by thousands of medical doctors and physiotherapists with remarkable success.

Gunn IMS offers treatment and rehabilitation solutions for patients with   persistent musculoskeletal pain conditions. You will learn to recognise and treat both the myofascial and neural (wiring) component of the musculoskeletal problems you face in your every day practice.  Our comprehensive training prioritizes    patient safety in all dry needling techniques, while maintaining maximum effectiveness.   The program also provides a thorough evidence-informed assessment and treatment rationale    for effectively integrating dry needling into your practice.

The   Gunn IMS program sits within UBC's Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine.    The theory and practical components provided on this course will help therapists successfully treat clients that frustrate and mystify with other management approaches.

Course Format

Gunn IMS training consists of three parts:

1. Part 1A -  self-paced and completed online (September 6th, 2023, enrolment - must    be completed for certification to be awarded);   includes lecture material, demonstration of assessment techniques, and assessment components (anatomy exam, theory exam and case presentation). Allow for 25    hours of online learning and case study preparation and 2 hours of exams and 6 hours  of  individual/group case study feedback tutorials. Approximately 32    hours of optional additional learning is provided (online and supplementary reading material).
2. Part 1B - two in-person practical training days  (see dates below). Each day is 8 hours of in-person learning (16 hours total). Allow for an additional 8    hours of online learning in preparation for your in-person days.
3. Part 2 -  two further in-person practical training days  (see dates below).   Each day is 8 hours of in-person learning (16 hours total). Allow for an additional 1  hour  of online learning in preparation for your in-person days.

On successful completion of all parts of the program, participants will be awarded certification in UBC Gunn IMS by the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

Course Content

The course will  cover education regarding Dr Gunn’s neuropathic model of myofascial pain syndromes, the effects of dry needling, and contraindications and safety considerations for dry needling including avoiding serious complications. You will learn how to conduct and interpret an assessment based on the neuropathic model to determine the cause of myofascial pain syndromes, which can then be used to devise a treatment plan using the Gunn IMS model. You will also learn to safely and effectively dry needle muscles of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine; shoulder and pelvic girdles; upper and lower limbs as well as muscles surrounding the TMJ. As the course progresses you will improve your clinical reasoning related to the application of the neuropathic model of treatment.

Prerequisites

In order to assure your success in the program there are several prerequisites required to attend. Please review our prerequisites in detail here.

Included with your course tuition you will receive:

• Online training   in assessment and clinical reasoning
• 4 days   of   in-person  training
• Instruction by    expert dry needling practitioners  with combined experience teaching thousands of students
• Low student-to-instructor ratios  to ensure every student receives  thorough instruction and supervision
• Detailed illustrated   course manual   that   thoroughly outlines all treatment techniques taught on the course
• Base Level access to our   Members Website  on certification  

​​Cost:
Part 1A - CAD$1125, Part 1B - CAD$1250, Part 2 - CAD$1250

Register here

Reservations will be given 7 days to submit their required documents with no obligation should you change your mind.

Complete Certification Course Details

Fall/Winter 2023-24 Training Calendar
(Part 1A September 6 - November 3, 2023, all locations)

Location	Part 1B	Part 2
Calgary, AB	November 4-5, 2023	February 3-4, 2024
Montreal, QC	February 10-11, 2024	April 6-7, 2024
Burlington, ON	November 25-26, 2023	February 24-25, 2024
​Vancouver (UBC), BC	December 2-3, 2023	March 2-3, 2024