HIGH FREQUENCY STIMULATION FOR TREATING SENSORY AND/OR MOTOR DEFICITS IN PATIENTS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES AND/OR PERIPHERAL POLYNEUROPATHY, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
High frequency stimulation for treating sensory and/or motor deficits in patients with spinal cord injuries and/or peripheral polyneuropathy, and associated systems and methods. A representative method includes addressing the patient's somatosensory dysfunction and/or motor dysfunction, resulting from neuropathy and/or spinal cord injury, by directing an electrical therapy signal to the patient's spinal cord region, the therapy signal having a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz.
1 . A method of treating a patient having diabetic neuropathy, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
in response to a diagnosis that the patient has tingling associated with the diabetic neuropathy, programming a signal generator to deliver an electrical signal to the patient's spinal cord via at least one implanted signal delivery element,
wherein the electrical signal at least partially eliminates the tingling associated with the diabetic neuropathy.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the signal generator is implantable, the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, and the electrical signal has an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of 5 kHz to 25 kHz.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal has a frequency of 10 kHz.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal has a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal has a pulse width in a pulse width range of 25 microseconds to 35 microseconds.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal has an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, inclusive.
11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's epidural space.
12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal at least partially restores sensation lost in association with the diabetic neuropathy.
13 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal at least partially alleviates extremity pain associated with the diabetic neuropathy.
14 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal does not generate paresthesia when administered to the patient to at least partially eliminate the tingling.
15 . A method of treating a patient having tingling associated with diabetic neuropathy, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
in response to the patient having the tingling associated with the diabetic neuropathy, programming a signal generator to deliver, via at least one implanted signal delivery element, an electrical signal to the patient's spinal cord to at least partially eliminate the tingling associated with the diabetic neuropathy.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the signal generator is implantable, the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, and the electrical signal has (a) a frequency in a frequency range of 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz, (b) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds, and (c) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz.
18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the electrical signal has a frequency of 10 kHz.
19 . The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal has (a) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds, and (b) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.
20 . The method of claim 15 wherein the electrical signal has (a) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 25 microseconds to 35 microseconds, and (b) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.
21 . The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, inclusive.
22 . The method of claim 15 wherein the tingling is in the patient's foot or leg, and wherein the electrical signal at least partially eliminates the tingling in the patient's foot or leg.
23 . The method of claim 15 wherein the electrical signal at least partially alleviates extremity pain associated with the diabetic neuropathy.
24 . The method of claim 15 wherein the electrical signal at least partially eliminates sensation lost in association with the diabetic neuropathy.
25 . The method of claim 15 wherein programming the signal generator includes programming the signal generator in response to the patient having the tingling associated with the diabetic neuropathy and sensation loss associated with the diabetic neuropathy.
26 . The method of claim 15 wherein the electrical signal does not generate paresthesia when administered to the patient to at least partially eliminate the tingling.
27 . A method of treating a patient having tingling, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
in response to the patient having the tingling, directing an electrical signal to the patient's spinal cord region via an implanted signal delivery element,
wherein the electrical signal at least partially eliminates tingling associated with diabetic neuropathy.
28 . The method of claim 27 wherein the electrical signal has (a) a frequency in a frequency range of 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz, (b) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds, and (c) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.
29 . The method of claim 27 wherein the electrical signal at least partially restores sensation lost in association with the diabetic neuropathy.
30 . The method of claim 27 wherein the electrical signal does not generate paresthesia in the patient.