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 - 30 . (canceled)
31 . A method of treating a patient having diabetic neuropathy, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
at least partially in response to the patient having a symptom of tingling caused by the patient's diabetic neuropathy, programming a signal generator to deliver a non-paresthesia producing electrical signal to the patient's spinal cord via at least one implanted signal delivery element, wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a frequency of 10 kHz, a pulse width in a pulse width range of from about 30 microseconds to about 35 microseconds, and an amplitude in an amplitude range of from 0.5 mA to 7 mA,
wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially eliminates the tingling caused by the diabetic neuropathy without causing a side-effect of signal-induced paresthesia.
32 . The method of claim 31 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region.
33 . The method of claim 31 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, inclusive.
34 . The method of claim 31 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's epidural space.
35 . The method of claim 31 wherein the tingling is in the patient's foot.
36 . The method of claim 31 wherein the patient also has foot pain caused by the patient's diabetic neuropathy, and wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal also reduces the patient's foot pain without causing the side-effect of signal-induced paresthesia.
37 . The method of claim 36 wherein programming the signal generator is performed at least partially in response to the patient having foot pain.
38 . A method of treating a patient having diabetic neuropathy, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
at least partially in response to the patient having a symptom of tingling associated with the patient's diabetic neuropathy, programming a signal generator to deliver a non-paresthesia producing electrical signal to the patient's spinal cord via at least one implanted signal delivery element, wherein the non-paresthesia-producing electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of from about 5 kHz to about 15 kHz, a pulse width in a pulse width range of from about 20 microseconds to about 40 microseconds, and an amplitude in an amplitude range of from 0.5 mA to 10 mA,
wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially eliminates the tingling associated with the diabetic neuropathy without causing a side-effect of signal-induced paresthesia.
39 . The method of claim 38 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's epidural space at a thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, inclusive.
40 . The method of claim 38 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a duty cycle of between about 10% and about 100%.
41 . The method of claim 40 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a duty cycle of about 14%.
42 . The method of claim 38 wherein the tingling is concentrated in one or both of the patient's feet and/or one or both of the patient's hands.
43 . The method of claim 38 wherein the signal generator is implanted.
44 . A method of treating a patient having diabetic neuropathy, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
at least partially in response to the patient having tingling associated with the patient's diabetic neuropathy, programming a signal generator to deliver a non-paresthesia producing electrical signal to the patient's spinal cord via at least one implanted signal delivery element, wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a frequency in a frequency range of from about 1.5 kHz to about 20 kHz, a pulse width in a pulse width range of from about 20 microseconds to about 100 microseconds, and an amplitude in an amplitude range of from 0.5 mA to 10 mA,
wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially eliminates the tingling associated with the diabetic neuropathy without causing a side-effect of signal-induced paresthesia.
45 . The method of claim 44 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned at a thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, inclusive.
46 . The method of claim 44 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a duty cycle of between about 10% and about 100%.
47 . The method of claim 46 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a duty cycle of about 14%.
48 . The method of claim 44 wherein the tingling is in one or both of the patient's feet.
49 . The method of claim 44 wherein the signal generator is implanted.
50 . The method of claim 44 wherein the signal generator is external.