Tissue treatment systems with high powered functional electrical stimulation and methods for reducing pain during tissue treatments

A method of operating a tissue treatment apparatus to transcutaneously treat tissue located beneath a skin surface of a patient with electromagnetic energy delivered from a treatment electrode, the method comprising:

• contacting a portion of the treatment electrode with the skin surface in a stationary relationship;
• while maintaining the stationary contact between the portion of the treatment electrode and a treatment zone on the skin surface, delivering the electromagnetic energy from the treatment electrode through the skin surface to the tissue over a treatment time in a plurality of power pulses having a first duration and a time gap between consecutive power pulses effective to decrease a sensation of pain experienced by the patient;
• and
• during the treatment time, delivering a plurality of cryogen pulses to the portion of the treatment electrode that have a second duration that is less than the first duration of the power pulses.