PCOS treatment in Greenville, SC. Dr. Hendry addresses insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance, and cycle irregularities with acupuncture and functional medicine. Call (864) 365-6156.
★★★★★
"I drive past his office every day, I'm so glad a trusted friend referred me! Dr. Hendry and I are working on hormone overall balance and possible estrogen dominance. I get acupuncture and love the results."
— Katlyn Garcia · April 2022 · Google Review
What Is PCOS?
The most common PCOS experience is this: irregular cycle, acne along the jaw, some unwanted hair, maybe difficulty with weight. Go to the doctor. Get put on birth control. Told it will regulate the cycle. It does, in the sense that you now have medicated bleeds on a 28-day schedule. The insulin resistance driving the androgen excess keeps worsening, untreated. The actual hormonal pattern, which could have been identified and addressed years earlier, isn't touched.
PCOS affects 8–13% of reproductive-age women globally and is the leading cause of ovulatory infertility. In the majority of cases — including lean women — it's driven by insulin resistance: elevated insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce excess testosterone, disrupts follicle maturation, and causes the characteristic ultrasound appearance. Addressing insulin resistance is what changes the underlying condition. Suppressing the symptoms with birth control is not treatment.
Common Symptoms
Irregular, infrequent, or absent menstrual periods
Excess hair growth (hirsutism) on the face, chest, and back
Acne, particularly around the jaw and chin
Male-pattern hair thinning or hair loss from the scalp
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight, particularly around the abdomen
Skin tags and dark patches of skin (acanthosis nigricans) — insulin resistance signs
Mood changes, anxiety, and depression
Fertility difficulties due to ovulatory dysfunction
Root Causes: A Functional Medicine Perspective
PCOS is driven primarily by insulin resistance in the majority of cases (even in lean women) — elevated insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce excess testosterone, disrupts follicle maturation, and causes the characteristic cystic appearance on ovarian ultrasound. Elevated LH relative to FSH further suppresses ovulation. Chronic inflammation — from diet, excess adipose tissue, or gut dysbiosis — amplifies androgen production and worsens insulin sensitivity.
Dr. Hendry's functional medicine approach evaluates fasting insulin, HOMA-IR (insulin resistance index), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free testosterone, DHEA-S, LH:FSH ratio, thyroid function, and inflammatory markers — creating a complete hormonal and metabolic picture that guides a targeted treatment protocol.
How We Treat PCOS at IHP
Acupuncture for PCOS is supported by growing clinical evidence. A landmark Swedish study (led by acupuncture researcher Elisabet Stener-Victorin) found that repeated electro-acupuncture normalized LH levels, improved menstrual regularity, and reduced testosterone in PCOS patients. Acupuncture modulates the neuroendocrine pathways that drive hormonal imbalance in PCOS.
Dr. Hendry's functional medicine protocol addresses insulin resistance directly: a low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory diet; targeted supplementation (inositol, berberine, chromium, vitamin D, omega-3s); and progressive exercise programming. Chinese herbal medicine formulas specific to TCM PCOS patterns regulate the cycle and reduce androgenic symptoms over a course of months. This comprehensive approach achieves hormonal rebalancing without relying on birth control pills — which mask symptoms without addressing underlying drivers.
Dr. Hendry's Approach
My goal with PCOS is to restore ovulation and regulate the cycle naturally — not to suppress the hormonal pattern and call it managed. That means treating the insulin resistance that's driving androgen excess in most cases, addressing gut inflammation, and using Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture to restore HPO axis regulation. For women who want to conceive, the protocol is built around ovulation restoration and cycle optimization. For those who don't, it's built around symptom resolution and long-term protection from the metabolic risk that comes with untreated insulin resistance.
Yes. Birth control pills are a common conventional treatment that regulates periods by suppressing the hormonal cycle entirely — but they don't address the underlying insulin resistance and androgen excess. Dr. Hendry's approach corrects the root causes, enabling natural cycle regulation.
Yes. Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol have strong evidence for improving insulin sensitivity, reducing androgen levels, and restoring ovulation in PCOS. Dr. Hendry uses specific dosing protocols based on each patient's insulin resistance status.
Even a 5–10% reduction in body weight significantly improves insulin sensitivity, reduces androgens, and can restore ovulation in overweight women with PCOS. Dr. Hendry's functional medicine approach supports healthy, sustainable weight management as part of PCOS treatment.
Most women see cycle improvement within 3–6 months of consistent acupuncture, dietary changes, and supplementation. The timeline varies based on the degree of hormonal imbalance and the patient's adherence to the full protocol.
PCOS doesn't have a medical 'cure,' but symptoms and underlying drivers can be substantially reduced or resolved through sustained lifestyle and integrative medical intervention. Many women with PCOS achieve regular ovulatory cycles, normal androgen levels, and improved insulin sensitivity with proper treatment.
PCOS presents in several distinct patterns, each with different treatment implications. Insulin-resistant PCOS is the most common — elevated insulin drives androgen excess and disrupts ovulation, seen in both overweight and lean women. Inflammatory PCOS is driven by chronic low-grade inflammation rather than insulin resistance, characterized by elevated CRP and inflammatory markers. Adrenal PCOS involves elevated DHEA-S from adrenal androgen production rather than ovarian androgen excess. Post-pill PCOS is a temporary hormonal disruption following discontinuation of oral contraceptives, often resolving within 3–6 months. Identifying your pattern changes the treatment approach — which is why Dr. Hendry tests fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, DHEA-S, and inflammatory markers alongside standard hormone panels.
Myo-inositol (often combined with D-chiro-inositol at a 40:1 ratio) has the strongest evidence — multiple RCTs show it improves insulin sensitivity, reduces androgens, and restores ovulation with an excellent safety profile. Berberine improves insulin resistance and has been compared favorably to metformin in clinical trials. Vitamin D deficiency is nearly universal in PCOS and its correction improves both metabolic and ovulatory function. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reduces androgen levels and improves insulin sensitivity. Chromium modestly improves insulin resistance. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides and inflammation. Dr. Hendry selects from these based on each patient's specific metabolic profile.
Yes — many women with PCOS conceive naturally, particularly when the underlying insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance, and inflammatory drivers are addressed. PCOS is characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, not absence of ovulation — restoring more regular ovulation through integrative interventions (dietary changes, inositol, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine) can be sufficient for natural conception. Dr. Hendry works with couples trying to conceive naturally and coordinates with reproductive endocrinologists when assisted reproductive technology is being considered.