Vancouver 2025 Gunn IMS Dry Needling Certification

Gunn IMS Certification Program
Vancouver (UBC) 2025

Part 1: continuous

Part 2: Sep 20-21

Part 3: Nov 15-16

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

Full certification in Vancouver

Part 1 (online) 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 three-part course will teach you:

How to understand and identify underlying nervous system dysfunction
How dry needling can positively alter nervous system sensitisation
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 prioritises 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:

Part 1 - self-paced and completed online (continuous 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).
Part 2 - 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.
Part 3 - 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

Location:
Chan Gunn Pavilion (UBC)
2553 Wesbrook Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3

Dates:
Part 1 - online and self-paced (continuous enrolment)
Part 2 - in-person training Sep 20-21, 2025
Part 3 - in-person training Nov 15 -16, 2025

Cost:
Part 1 - $1225 CAD, Part 2 - $1250 CAD, Part 3 - $1250 CAD

Reserve your spot now!

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

Complete Certification Course Details