Patent ID: 8892215

Claim:
A method for relieving a discogenic lumbar back pain in a patient comprising: positioning a plurality of electrodes within an anterior epidural space of the patient to a position adjacent to a posterior longitudinal ligament and/or a posterior annulus fibrosus; generating one or more electrical impulses with a pulse generator; and transmitting the electrical impulses through said electrodes to a vicinity of one or more nerves in said posterior longitudinal ligament and/or posterior annulus fibrosus; wherein the electrical impulses are configured to relieve the pain in the patient in a Step A followed by a Step B, wherein: Step A comprises electrical stimulation of the one or more nerves, wherein no significant heat damage is generated in any tissue of the patient; wherein some of the one or more nerves are stimulated reversibly and/or are subjected to non-thermal irreversible electroporation; and wherein a determination is made that the patient finds that said stimulation without significant heat damage does not substantially relieve said pain; and Step B comprises irreversible electrical stimulation of the one or more nerves that generates significant joule heating and/or dielectric heating of proteins; wherein all nerves within a thecal sac neighboring the anterior epidural space are substantially shielded thermally from said joule heating and/or dielectric heating; and wherein the position of the plurality of electrodes is substantially the same during Step B as the position of the plurality of electrodes during Step A.