Patent ID: 7324852

Claim:
A method for stimulating localized sensory nerves to treat low back pain, comprising: identifying a region of low back pain in a patient; identifying a sub-region of greatest hyperalgesia within the region; implanting one or more stimulation leads with a plurality of electrodes being disposed in the sub-region of greatest hyperalgesia and substantially aligned along a greatest axis of the region of low back pain, the implanting positioning the plurality of electrodes in the epidermis, dermis, or subcutaneous tissue superior to fascia containing a network of localized sensory nerve fibers located in and influencing the painful region of the low back area without regard to a specific or identifiable nerve or nerve branch; using an electrical stimulation source implanted in a person's body, generating electrical stimulation pulses for transmission to the plurality of electrodes; and in response to the electrical stimulation pulses transmitted from the stimulation source implanted in the person's body, treating the patient's low back pain by using the plurality of electrodes to stimulate the network of localized sensory nerve fibers.