Systems and methods for enhancing muscle function of skeletal muscles in connection with a planned spine surgery intervention in a patient's back are provided. The method includes implanting one or more electrodes in or adjacent to tissue associated with one or more skeletal muscles within a back of a patient, the one or more electrodes in electrical communication with a pulse generator programmed for enhancing muscle function of the one or more skeletal muscles. Electrical stimulation is delivered, according to the programming during a time period associated with the planned spine surgery intervention, from the pulse generator to the tissue associated with the one or more skeletal muscles via the one or more electrodes, thereby improving neuromuscular control system performance of the one or more spine stabilizing muscles in connection with the planned spine surgery intervention to reduce the patient's recovery time associated with the planned spine surgery intervention.

A system for restoring muscle function to the lumbar spine to treat low back pain is provided. The system may include electrodes coupled to an implantable pulse generator (IPG), a handheld activator configured to transfer a stimulation command to the IPG, and an external programmer configured to transfer programming data to the IPG. The stimulation command directs the programmable controller to stimulate the tissue in accordance with the programming data. The system may include a software-based programming system run on a computer such that the treating physician may program and adjust stimulation parameters.

There is provided a method for treating a male impotent patient comprising stimulating at least one portion of the patient's normal penile tissue or the prolongation thereof to at least restrict the blood flow leaving the penis to achieve erection. To improve the erection effect the method further comprises gently constricting the penile portion or the prolongation thereof to restrict the venous blood flow in the penile portion, and then stimulating the constricted penile portion to cause contraction of the penile portion to at least further restrict the blood flow leaving the penis to achieve erection.

A control system for a movement reconstruction and/or restoration system for a patient, comprising a CNS-Stimulation Module, especially an EES-Module, configured and arranged to provide CNS-Stimulation to a patient, and/or a PNS-Stimulation Module, especially an FES-Module, configured and arranged to provide PNS-Stimulation to a patient, a controller configured and arranged to control the CNS-Stimulation Module and/or the PNS-Stimulation Module, and at least one sensor configured and arranged to measure at least one parameter indicative of the movement of at least one limb and/or part of a limb of a patient.

An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats an erectile dysfunction condition of a patient through application of stimulation pulses applied at a target tissue location underlying, or in the vicinity of, at least one of acupoints BL52, BL23 or GV4. The IEAD includes an IEAD housing having an electrode configuration thereon that includes at least two electrodes, and pulse generation circuitry located within the IEAD housing and electrically coupled to the at least two electrodes. The pulse generation circuitry is adapted to deliver EA stimulation pulses to the patient's body tissue at or near the target tissue location in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen, the stimulation regimen requiring that the stimulation session have a duration of T3 minutes and a rate of occurrence of once every T4 minutes, and wherein a ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05.

Apparatus and methods for stimulating tissue employing local current imbalance to facilitate more effective stimulation regimens.

A method for treating pain or discomfort in a patient is disclosed. The method comprises stimulating a cranial nerve with an electrical signal. The pain or discomfort may be a withdrawal symptom. The cranial nerve may be in an auricular area of the patient. The cranial nerve may be cranial nerve V, cranial nerve VII, cranial nerve IX, cranial nerve X, or branches of greater and lesser occipital nerves thereof and their associated neurovascular bundles. The withdrawal symptom may result from cessation of an opioid. The method may further comprise administering a secondary drug treats one or more of the withdrawal symptoms and addiction. The secondary drug may be administered about one day to about one week after initiating the stimulating step.

Methods and related systems for modulating neural activity by cyclically modulating neural activity in peripheral neural structures are disclosed. Neural activity may be modulated cyclically by stimuli delivered via various types of stimulus sources. In an aspect, activity of a sensory nerve is modulated. Neural modulation may be used, for example, to modulate an undesired sensation, such as pain, or an immune or inflammatory response or process. Delivery of stimuli for modulating neural activity may be controlled in part in response to an input from a user input device.

An apparatus comprises a cardiac signal sensing circuit configured for coupling electrically to a plurality of electrodes and to sense intrinsic cardiac activation at three or more locations within a subject's body using the electrodes; a stimulus circuit configured for coupling to the plurality of electrodes; a signal processing circuit electrically coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and configured to determine a baseline intrinsic activation vector according to the sensed intrinsic cardiac activation; and a control circuit electrically coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and stimulus circuit and configured to: initiate delivery of electrical pacing therapy using initial pacing parameters determined according to the baseline intrinsic activation vector; initiate sensing of a paced activation vector; and adjust one or more pacing therapy parameters according to the paced activation vector.

An apparatus comprises a cardiac signal sensing circuit configured for coupling electrically to a plurality of electrodes and to sense intrinsic cardiac activation at three or more locations within a subject's body using the electrodes; a stimulus circuit configured for coupling to the plurality of electrodes; a signal processing circuit electrically coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and configured to determine a baseline intrinsic activation vector according to the sensed intrinsic cardiac activation; and a control circuit electrically coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and stimulus circuit and configured to: initiate delivery of electrical pacing therapy using initial pacing parameters determined according to the baseline intrinsic activation vector; initiate sensing of a paced activation vector; and adjust one or more pacing therapy parameters according to the paced activation vector.