Headaches & Migraines Treatment in Greenville, SC
Natural headache and migraine treatment in Greenville, SC. Dr. Hendry's acupuncture and functional medicine approach reduces frequency and severity. Call (864) 365-6156.
What Is Headaches & Migraines?
Headaches are one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting over 50% of the global population. Migraine — characterized by moderate to severe pulsating pain, often with nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and visual aura — affects roughly 12% of adults and is significantly debilitating. Despite their prevalence, both conditions are frequently undertreated or managed only with medications that address symptoms rather than underlying causes.
Common Symptoms
Root Causes: A Functional Medicine Perspective
Migraines are driven by neuroinflammation and altered central sensitization — the brain's pain-processing systems become hypersensitive to triggers that wouldn't affect others. Triggers are diverse: hormonal fluctuations (particularly estrogen changes around menstruation), dietary factors (tyramine, MSG, alcohol), sleep disruption, stress, and barometric pressure changes.
Functionally, magnesium deficiency is found in the majority of migraine sufferers — magnesium plays a key role in nerve conduction and vascular tone. Mitochondrial dysfunction reduces cellular energy production, lowering the threshold for migraine attacks. Gut dysbiosis and intestinal permeability generate systemic inflammation that crosses the blood-brain barrier and sensitizes the trigeminal nerve system underlying migraine pathophysiology. Histamine intolerance from impaired DAO enzyme activity is increasingly recognized as a significant migraine driver.
How We Treat Headaches & Migraines at IHP
Acupuncture for migraine prevention has been validated in numerous large randomized trials, with the landmark Cochrane review (2016) concluding that acupuncture is at least as effective as prophylactic drug treatments for reducing migraine frequency — with fewer side effects. Dr. Hendry uses a combination of local points at the head and distal points that regulate the nervous system and reduce trigeminal sensitization.
Functional medicine testing identifies specific migraine drivers: magnesium, coenzyme Q10, and riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, food sensitivities, and gut microbiome disruptions. Addressing these systemic drivers reduces the baseline neuroinflammation that makes the brain vulnerable to triggering, resulting in fewer, less severe attacks over time.
Dr. Hendry's Approach
Dr. Hendry's training in both Oriental medicine and functional medicine allows him to address migraines from multiple angles simultaneously: regulating the nervous system through acupuncture, reducing neuroinflammation through dietary and supplemental protocols, and balancing the hormonal and gut factors that drive susceptibility. He also recognizes the connection between cervicogenic headache and migraine, treating the cervical spine when appropriate.