Patent ID: 8414509

Claim:
A method for providing long-term thermal therapy to a patient, comprising: positioning a delivery assembly at a location associated with a region of tissue of a spinal joint; wherein the delivery assembly comprises a needle; wherein the needle is delivered into and through at least a portion of a bony structure to the location; wherein positioning a delivery assembly comprises positioning the delivery assembly into and through at least a portion of a vertebral body to the location, said vertebral body comprising a bony structure located above a lower vertebral endplate and below an upper vertebral endplate; delivering a long-term thermal therapy implant through the needle to a treatment location within the bony structure of the vertebral body; implanting the long-term thermal therapy implant at the treatment location; delivering a therapeutic level of energy from the implant to the tissue; and heating the region of tissue associated with the spinal joint so as to cause a therapeutic result in the tissue.