Treatment methods

Abstract

The invention generally relates to methods for treating osteoarthritis. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve providing stimulation to a subject's central nervous system to modulate a signal sent to or from the subject's joint, thereby treating osteoarthritis.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method for treating a subject's pain after joint-replacement surgery, the method comprising:
 providing a transcranial stimulation device comprising one or more transcranial energy sources; and   providing, via the transcranial stimulation device, stimulation transcranially to a subject after joint-replacement surgery to modulate a signal sent to or from the subject's joint, thereby treating the subject's pain.   
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the signal is a pain related signal. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the signal is an inflammatory related signal. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the signal is processed in the brain. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 37 ,wherein stimulation is selected from the group of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS), Transcranial Ultrasound (TUS), Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (TACS), Cranial Electrical Stimulation (CES), or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 37 ,wherein stimulation is a combination of electrical and ultrasound stimulation, each applied transcranially. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the stimulation is applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of: dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, sub-cortical structures, and spinal cord. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the joint is a knee joint. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the surgery is knee replacement surgery. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the method improves recovery time for the subject from joint-replacement surgery. 
     
     
         47 . A method for improving recovery time for a subject after joint-replacement surgery, the method comprising:
 providing a transcranial stimulation device comprising one or more transcranial energy sources; and   providing, via the transcranial stimulation device, stimulation transcranially to a subject prior to joint-replacement surgery to modulate a signal sent to or from the subject's joint, thereby improving recovery time for a subject after joint-replacement surgery.   
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the signal is a pain related signal. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the signal is an inflammatory related signal. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the signal is processed in the brain. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 47 ,wherein stimulation is selected from the group of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS), Transcranial Ultrasound (TUS), Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (TACS), Cranial Electrical Stimulation (CES), or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 47 ,wherein stimulation is a combination of electrical and ultrasound stimulation, each applied transcranially. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the stimulation is applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of: dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, sub-cortical structures, and spinal cord. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the joint is a knee joint. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the surgery is knee replacement surgery. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  47 , wherein the method improves recovery time for the subject from joint-replacement surgery.