Regional therapies for treatment of pain
First Claim
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1. A method for treating pain in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:
- generating via a pulse generator implanted in the subject a first electrical signal having a frequency of less than about 20 Hz and applying the first electrical signal to a first region of subcutaneous tissue in proximity to a source or pain of the subject via a first electrode implanted proximate to the first region to treat the pain; and
generating via the pulse generator a second electrical signal having a frequency of greater than about 50 Hz and applying the second electrical signal to a second region of subcutaneous tissue in proximity to the source of pain of the subject via a second electrode implanted proximate to the second region to treat the pain,wherein the first and second regions are different, the second electrical signal is not applied via the first electrode, and the first electrical signal is not applied via the second electrode.
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Abstract
Enhanced therapies for treating pain are described. The therapies include subcutaneous stimulation of tissue in proximity to a source of pain at low frequencies (less than about 20 Hz) and high frequencies (greater than about 50 Hz). The subcutaneous stimulation may be applied in proximity to a structure in the back, such as discs, facet joints, nerve roots or ganglions, sympathetic chain, ligaments, muscles, and the like. Subcutaneous stimulation at high and low frequencies applied in combination with epidural stimulation is also described.
275 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for treating pain in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:
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generating via a pulse generator implanted in the subject a first electrical signal having a frequency of less than about 20 Hz and applying the first electrical signal to a first region of subcutaneous tissue in proximity to a source or pain of the subject via a first electrode implanted proximate to the first region to treat the pain; and generating via the pulse generator a second electrical signal having a frequency of greater than about 50 Hz and applying the second electrical signal to a second region of subcutaneous tissue in proximity to the source of pain of the subject via a second electrode implanted proximate to the second region to treat the pain, wherein the first and second regions are different, the second electrical signal is not applied via the first electrode, and the first electrical signal is not applied via the second electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for treating pain in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:
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generating via a pulse generator implanted in the subject a first electrical signal having a frequency of less than about 20 Hz and applying the first electrical signal to a first region of subcutaneous tissue via at least one electrode of a set of one or more electrodes implanted in the subject in proximity to a source of pain to treat pain; and generating via the implantable pulse generator a second electrical signal having a frequency of greater than about 50 Hz and applying the second electrical signal to a second region of subcutaneous tissue via at least one electrode of the set of the one or more electrodes to treat pain, wherein the applying the first signal and applying the second signal comprises applying at least one of the first and second signals to at least one different electrode than the at least one electrode to which the other of the first and second signals is applied. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for treating pain in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:
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generating via a pulse generator implanted in the subject a first electrical signal having a frequency of less than about 20 Hz and applying the first electrical signal to a first region of subcutaneous tissue via at least one electrode of a first set of one or more electrodes implanted in the subject in proximity to a first source of pain to treat pain; and generating via the pulse generator a second electrical signal having a frequency of greater than about 50 Hz and applying the second electrical signal to a second region of subcutaneous tissue via at least one electrode of a second set of one or more electrodes implanted in the subject in proximity to a second source of pain, which is the same or different than the first source of pain, to treat pain, wherein the first and second regions are different the second electrical signal is not applied by the at least one electrode of the first set of one or more electrodes, and the first electrical signal is not applied by the at least one electrode of the second set of one or more electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for treating pain in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:
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applying a first electrical signal to at least one electrode of a first set of one or more electrodes implanted in the subject in proximity to a source of pain to treat pain, the first electrical signal comprising a frequency of less than about 20 Hz; and applying a second electrical signal to at least one electrode of a second set of one or more electrodes epidurally implanted in the subject to treat pain, the second electrical signal comprising a frequency of greater than about 50 Hz, wherein the second electrical signal is not applied by the at least one electrode of the first set of one or more electrodes and the first electrical signal is not applied by the at least one electrode of the second set of one or more electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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- 29. A computer readable medium programmed with instructions to cause an implantable pulse generator to alternate in a periodic manner between generating a first electrical signal having a frequency between about 50 Hz and about 75 Hz for application to a first electrode but not a second electrode and generating a second electrical signal having a frequency between about 10 Hz and about 20 Hz for application to the second electrode but not the first electrode.
Specification