Winter Driving and First IMS Treatment: survived!

My first encounter with Intra-Muscular Stimulation had to happen in the first real blizzard of this winter… joke is, we Canadians SHOULD know how to drive in the snow, but so strange how so few people remember how…

1. SLOW DOWN… but not to a grinding halt!
2. You can drive at decent speeds but speed up gradually and brake softly and in advance!
3. Most important of all: keep away from my bumper!!! Leave room (4 car lengths and much more!) because the tires will slide! Keep away from my side doors and fenders too!
4. AWD, 4WD, winter tires and traction control help, they don’t bring summer back! You still have to drive with winter skills!
5. NEVER FIGHT IT: when the turn doesn’t happen, straighten up a bit. When it wont brake, let up on the pedal!

At any rate, I did get to the clinic on time and safely. I was mostly afraid that my apprehension would needlessly amplify the pain from the needles. You see, with acupuncture, they tap the needle into your skin, but with IMS, they tap it in, then they push it into the muscle until it reaches the knot! THEN, they jog it up and down and left and right!!!!

Well, with the first needle, I actually didn’t feel anything at all. So the therapist massaged my shoulder muscle until he found a real knot and put a needle in there… OK, that one was felt!

It’s not the end of the world. I did end up grunting and growling like my dogs when people walk in the field behind the house, but as soon as its over, its over. If this helps prevent my Saturday morning headaches and back aches and so on, I’ll gladly take it!

But the test is tomorrow and up to the week-end. That’s when the body is supposed to react to the treatments….. see you then!