We specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of the following conditions:

• Bursitis: hips, knees and shoulders
• Cancer: pain from the spread of disease and/or from radiation or chemotherapy
• Disc Problems: bulges, herniations, protrusions, ruptures, or tears
• Osteoarthritis: facet joint, hip, knee, sacroiliac, shoulders, and spine
• Sciatica (Radiculopathy)
• Spinal Stenosis
• Tendonosis/Tendonitis: hips, knees, and shoulders
• Trigger Points (Myofascial Points): shoulder girdle muscles and spine muscles
• Vertebral Body Fractures: lumbar and low thoracic (low back)

• Physician Referrals: neurology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, or rheumatology are most common
• Physical Therapy
• Psychology or Psychiatry
• Yoga: Mona Flynn (Christian based treatment)

• Life Style Changes: appropriate diet, regular exercise, lose weight, stop smoking
• Massage Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Relaxation

• Acupuncture
• Aquatic Therapy
• Behavioral Modifications
• Biofeedback
• Chiropractic

“ I have had chronic back pain for 20 years. I visited a spinal specialist who said I had no options but multiple surgeries. I have been seeing Dr. Bethea for 2 years and she has managed my pain and given me back quality of life.”

Helen Dildy

We are ABPM certified and fellowship trained in the following interventions:

• Bursa Injections: hips, knees, and shoulders
• Discography: lumbar only (pressurize discs with dye to determine source of pain)
• Epidural Steroid Injections: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral
• Facet Joint Injections: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral
• Intercostal Nerve Blocks
• Joint Injections: hips, knees, sacroiliac, and shoulders
• Kyphoplasty: low thoracic (T10-12) and all lumbar vertebrae (place cement in fractured vertebrae to decrease suffering and restore some height to the bone)
• Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks (for hypersensitive, swollen, shiny, changes to the legs)
• Medial Branch Blocks: cervical, thoracic, and lumbar (pain nerves to the facet joints)
• Neurostimulation: spinal cord stimulator trial with Medtronic (substitute painful stimulus for something that is more tolerable)
• Occipital Nerve Blocks: greater, lesser, and third occipital nerves (headaches generated from the cervical region-neck)
• Radiofrequency Ablation: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral (burn the proteins in the pain nerves, medial branches, which run to the facet joints)
• Stellate Ganglion Block (hypersensitive, swollen, changes to the arms)
• Trigger Point Injections (Myofascial Injections): shoulder girdle and paraspinals (muscles around the spine)
• Vertebroplasty: low thoracic (T10-T12) and all lumbar (cement placed into the fractured vertebrae like Kyphoplasty to reduce pain)

We also provide alternate treatment options for some patients:

Performance Spine & Sports Specialists, PA