A significant number of chronic pain patients go through years of consultations and diagnostic imaging without a clear explanation for their symptoms. Standard treatments—painkillers, physical therapy, even surgery—often fail to deliver lasting relief. In many of these cases, the underlying problem is not structural but functional, specifically neuromuscular.
Intramuscular Stimulation (AIMS) is an advanced therapeutic technique designed to target precisely this level of dysfunction. Based on the neurophysiological work of Dr. Chan Gunn, AIMS evolved from clinical dry needling and provides a highly specific, science-based approach to diagnosing and treating chronic myofascial pain.
Unlike traditional acupuncture, AIMS is not based on energy meridians, but on anatomical and functional analysis. It combines clinical reasoning, physical evaluation, and neuroanatomy to identify and treat underlying sources of muscle hyperactivity, referred pain, and impaired motor control.
Â
Its goal is not merely to “release” a trigger point, but to restore optimal neuromuscular function, modulate pain sensitization, and reestablish proper movement patterns.
How AIMS Works
AIMS involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific areas of muscle tissue that show signs of electrical hyperactivity or sustained contraction. These regions often correspond to functional denervation, where a muscle receives insufficient neural input due to subtle radicular irritation—sometimes with no clear findings on MRI or imaging.
Â
The needle insertion triggers an involuntary local twitch response, which helps normalize the dysfunctional motor unit, reduce abnormal tone, and promote the reactivation of neuromuscular circuits. AIMS is both a diagnostic and therapeutic intervention, often identifying the root cause of pain far from the area where symptoms are felt.
Conditions Commonly Treated with AIMS
AIMS has shown excellent clinical outcomes in cases where structural pathology is absent or insufficient to explain the patient’s symptoms. Some of the most frequent indications include:
Â
-
Chronic myofascial pain syndromes (neck, back, shoulder, gluteal)
-
Sciatica without disc herniation (functional radiculopathy)
-
Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (in men and women)
-
Post-surgical persistent pain (after arthroscopy, hernia repair, cesarean section, etc.)
-
Non-inflammatory tendinopathies (tennis elbow, Achilles tendinosis, patellar tendinopathy)
-
Functional nerve entrapment syndromes (piriformis syndrome, meralgia paresthetica)
-
Unexplained paresthesia or muscle weakness (normal imaging, normal EMG)
Â
AIMS as Part of a Multimodal, Integrative Care Plan
In our Brooklyn clinic, we don’t use AIMS as a standalone technique. It is integrated into a comprehensive multidisciplinary care plan that combines neuromuscular therapy, regenerative technologies, and personalized rehabilitation. This approach enhances the therapeutic effects of AIMS, accelerates recovery, and prevents recurrence.
🔹 High-Intensity Laser Therapy
Improves microcirculation, cellular oxygenation, and tissue metabolism in the treated regions after AIMS sessions.
🔹 TECAR Therapy (Capacitive and Resistive Electrical Transfer)
Delivers deep thermal energy to promote tissue regeneration and muscle relaxation, synergistically supporting the neuromuscular reset initiated by AIMS.
🔹 Shock Wave Therapy
Targets fibrotic adhesions, chronic trigger points, and soft tissue restrictions. Enhances local blood flow and metabolic reactivation.
🔹 EMTT (Electromagnetic Transduction Therapy)
Penetrates deep tissues with pulsed magnetic fields to modulate pain processing, reduce central sensitization, and improve neuromuscular coordination.
🔹 Therapeutic Exercise and Motor Retraining
Once muscle tone is normalized, tailored physical therapy helps restore strength, coordination, proprioception, and postural control to ensure lasting recovery.
🔹 Ultrasound-Guided Injections
For selected cases that require pharmacological or regenerative support, we may complement AIMS with precise, image-guided injections such as corticosteroids or PRP.
Â
What Sets AIMS Apart?
What makes AIMS unique is its ability to treat pain by targeting the physiology of dysfunction—not just symptoms. Rather than masking pain with drugs or performing invasive procedures, AIMS reactivates inhibited muscles, modulates local and central pain mechanisms, and restores functional balance.
Key advantages include:
-
No systemic medications required
-
Drug-free and minimally invasive
-
Based on clinical reasoning and functional diagnosis
-
Long-lasting results with relatively few sessions
-
Can be integrated with physical therapy, regenerative medicine, or interventional pain management
Final Thoughts
Â
Chronic myofascial pain often goes undetected by conventional diagnostics, leaving patients frustrated and underserved. In such cases, Intramuscular Stimulation (AIMS) can be a turning point—unlocking pain patterns caused by neuromuscular imbalance rather than structural damage.
At our Brooklyn clinic, we offer this advanced intervention as part of a broader, tech-enabled, and evidence-based rehabilitation framework. By combining AIMS with therapies such as TECAR, high-power laser, EMTT, shockwave, and personalized kinesiology, we can address the root causes of dysfunction and help our patients return to a pain-free, active life.
Â
📍 If you’re experiencing persistent pain with no clear diagnosis, or have not found relief through conventional approaches, it may be time to consider AIMS. The solution may not lie in what scans can see—but in how your muscles and nerves are functioning.
Â