Patent ID: 7725193

Claim:
A method of administering non-invasive intramuscular stimulation therapy through use of surface applied electrical stimulation, comprising: (A) locating a surface motor point or motor end plate zone or region of adjacent motor end plate zones within the interior of an afflicted muscle of a patient; (B) placing a conductive member of an electrical stimulator on the surface of the skin at a position overlying the surface motor point or motor end plate zone or region of adjacent motor end plate zones within the interior of the muscle; (C) providing localized electrical stimulation to the surface motor point and an associate motor end plate zone or region of motor end plate zones within the interior of the afflicted muscle, by conducting an electrical current through said conductive member, and flowing from said member through the skin, into said motor end plate zone or region of motor end plate zones within the interior of the muscle, and to a reference electrode on the skin spaced from said conductive member, said electrical stimulation being of sufficient intensity to elicit a forceful twitch response from the muscle fibers associated with motor end plates within said motor end plate zones within the interior of the muscle, unless said motor end plate zones are refractory to electrical stimulation; and (D) repeating steps (A)-(C) to elicit a forceful twitch response from muscle fibers associated with additional motor end plates within the interior of the muscle corresponding to an additional treatment point on the afflicted muscle.