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

Abstract

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.