Skip to main content
Call Us Request Appointment

Pain Management Specialist

Premier Spine Institute Bonaventure Ngu, MD Our Services Pain Management

Premier Spine Institute

Bonaventure Ngu, MD

Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon located in The Woodlands, TX & Humble, TX

Dr. Bonaventure Ngu is an orthopaedic surgeon with more than 18 years’ experience who can use your bone marrow stem cells to treat your back pain at Premier Spine Institute in The Woodlands and Humble, Texas. If you think there’s no hope for your aches and pains, consult with Dr. Ngu to find out if stem cell therapy for pain management is for you. Dr. Ngu also offers an array of more conventional pain treatments, physical therapy, and minimally invasive surgeries to help you stay mobile and pain-free. Call or book an appointment online.

Pain Management Q&A

 

How can I help my aching back?

Your spinal column is an extremely complex and delicate structure that’s easily injured. A healthy spine is essential to proper movement, so when your back hurts, it can affect your entire body.

When you come to see Dr. Ngu at Premier Spine Institute, he takes a detailed medical history and conducts a comprehensive physical examination. He may also use CT scans, X-rays, and MRIs to diagnose the source of your pain.

Based on his findings, Dr. Ngu makes a diagnosis and designs an individualized treatment plan. If your pain is caused by strained or sprained tissues, resting your back and alleviating pain and swelling with over-the-counter medications may be all that’s necessary. He might recommend acetaminophen to block pain signals or ibuprofen to reduce swelling.

What if OTC pain relievers don’t help my back pain?

When OTC medications and rest don’t work, or if Dr. Ngu has diagnosed a more severe problem, he can prescribe stronger pain relievers, which may include:

  • Corticosteroids to reduce swelling
  • Antidepressants to block pain
  • Anticonvulsants to ease pain
  • Antispasmodics to relax spasms
  • Lidocaine patches for ongoing pain relief


When your back pain is caused by degenerative vertebral discs — the cushiony tissues that act as your back’s shock absorbers and prevent your bones from grinding against each other — he may recommend stem cell therapy.

Stem cell therapy goes beyond pain relief to repair the damage that’s causing your back or neck pain. It may help you avoid more invasive procedures, such as spine surgery.

What is stem cell therapy?

Stem cells are undifferentiated, or blank, cells that can be triggered to morph into other kinds of more specific cells. Adults have stem cells throughout their body, including in fat and bone marrow. Stem cells that you donate to yourself are called autologous stem cells.

When Dr. Ngu thinks you’d benefit from stem cell therapy, he uses a long needle to extract bone marrow from the back of your hip. He then places the bone marrow in a centrifuge, which separates out the stem cells.

Dr. Ngu injects the stem cells into the site of your injury, where they help repair your tissues. Stem cell therapy can be used to improve:

  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Desiccated discs
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Arthrosis
  • Arthritis
  • Overuse injuries


If you think you’d benefit from autologous stem cell therapy, contact Dr. Ngu at Premier Spine Institute. You can phone his knowledgeable staff or book a consultation online.

What we offer

Services