Synergistic muscle activation device

1. A method of guiding the flow of energy through a subject to stimulate the contraction of muscle tissue, comprising:

positioning first and second electrodes on a subject;

delivering energy to muscle tissue through the first and second electrodes; and

reducing lateral spreading of the energy passing from the first electrode to the second electrode by increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to the first and second electrodes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to the first and second electrodes comprises increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to both sides of the first and second electrodes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element on the subject laterally of at least one of the first and second electrodes such that the cooling element does not extend across an entire width of at least one of the first and second electrodes.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element on the subject laterally on both sides of the first and second electrodes such that the cooling element does not extend across the widths of either the first or second electrodes.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the cooling element comprises a first cooling element positioned on a first side of the first and second electrodes and a second cooling element not integral with the first cooling element positioned on a second side of the first and second electrodes.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element solely laterally to the first and second electrodes.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the cooling element comprises a first cooling element positioned solely laterally to the first and second electrodes on a first side of the first and second electrodes and a second cooling element not integral with the first cooling element positioned solely laterally to the first and second electrodes on a second side of the first and second electrodes.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing lateral spreading of the energy passing from the first electrode to the second electrode comprises guiding energy towards a shorter path between the first and second electrodes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises decreasing the temperature of tissue within the subject with a cooling element.

10. A method of guiding the flow of energy through a subject to stimulate the contraction of muscle tissue, comprising:

positioning first and second sets of electrodes on a subject;

delivering energy to muscle tissue through the first and second sets of electrodes; and

increasing the amount of energy passed between the sets of electrodes that combines by increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to the first and second sets of electrodes.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to the first and second sets of electrodes comprises increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to both sides of the first and second sets of electrodes.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element on the subject laterally to at least one of the first and second sets of electrodes such that the cooling element does not extend across an entire width of at least one of the first and second sets of electrodes.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element on the subject laterally to both sides of the first and second sets of electrodes such that the cooling element does not extend across the entire width of either the first or second sets of electrodes.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the cooling element comprises a first cooling element positioned on a first side of the first and second sets of electrodes and a second cooling element not integral with the first cooling element positioned on a second side of the first and second sets of electrodes, and wherein the cooling elements increase the impedance of tissue such that the amount of energy passing between the sets of electrodes that combines increases.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element solely laterally to the first and second sets of electrodes.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the cooling element comprises a first cooling element positioned solely laterally relative to the first set of electrodes and a second cooling element not integral with the first cooling element positioned solely laterally to the second set of electrodes.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein increasing the amount of energy passed between the sets of electrodes that combines comprises guiding a greater percentage of energy flowing between the first set of electrodes towards the flow of energy passing between the second set of electrodes.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises decreasing the temperature of tissue within the subject with a cooling element.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein delivering energy to muscle tissue through the first and second sets of electrodes comprises simultaneously delivering energy to muscle tissue through the first and second sets of electrodes.

20. A method of guiding the flow of energy through a subject to stimulate the contraction of muscle tissue, comprising:

positioning first and second electrodes on a subject;

delivering energy to muscle tissue through the first and second electrodes to stimulate the contraction of muscle tissue; and

reducing lateral spreading of the energy passing from the first electrode to the second electrode by increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to the first and second electrodes.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to the first and second electrodes comprises increasing the impedance of tissue within the subject primarily laterally to both sides of the first and second electrodes.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element on the subject laterally of at least one of the first and second electrodes such that the cooling element does not extend across an entire width of at least one of the first and second electrodes.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element on the subject laterally on both sides of the first and second electrodes such that the cooling element does not extend across the widths of either the first or second electrodes.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the cooling element comprises a first cooling element positioned on a first side of the first and second electrodes and a second cooling element not integral with the first cooling element positioned on a second side of the first and second electrodes.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises positioning a cooling element solely laterally to the first and second electrodes.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the cooling element comprises a first cooling element positioned solely laterally to the first and second electrodes on a first side of the first and second electrodes and a second cooling element not integral with the first cooling element positioned solely laterally to the first and second electrodes on a second side of the first and second electrodes.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein reducing lateral spreading of the energy passing from the first electrode to the second electrode comprises guiding energy towards a shorter path between the first and second electrodes.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein increasing the impedance of tissue comprises decreasing the temperature of tissue within the subject with a cooling element.