Gunn IMS Certification Program
​University-Accredited Dry Needling Training

Setting the Standard for Safety and Effectiveness Since 1994

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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 (April 3rd, 2023, enrolment - to be completed by June 2nd, 2023);   includes lecture material, demonstration of assessment techniques, and assessment components (anatomy exam, theory exam and case presentation). Allow for 18 hours of online learning and case study preparation and 4 hours of exams and case study feedback tutorials. Approximately 30 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 2.5    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
• 1 year of free access to our   Members Website    that provides  a listing on our   practitioner directory    as well as   ongoing practitioner support:
  • Client education tools
  • Needle technique updates
  • Communication bulletins
  • Clinical forms
  • Online exams to test your knowledge
  • Annotated research papers
  • Video content
  • An ‘Ask-an-Instructor’ section to submit questions and read past responses
  • ​Discussion forum
    

​​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

Spring-Fall 2023 Training Calendar
(Part 1A April 3 - June 2, 2023, all locations)

Location	Part 1B	Part 2
Edmonton, AB	June 3-4, 2023	September 9-10, 2023
Ottawa, ON	June 10-11, 2023	September 16-17, 2023
Vancouver (UBC), BC	June 24-25, 2023	September 23-24, 2023