Chinese Medicine Clinic Services

Acid Reflux Treatment in Greenville, SC

Acid Reflux Treatment at IHP Greenville — authentic TCM, in-house herbal pharmacy. Dr. Hendry, DAOM, 25+ yrs experience. Call (864) 365-6156.

Acid reflux (GERD) — gastroesophageal reflux disease producing heartburn, regurgitation, and esophageal irritation — is typically managed with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) that suppress gastric acid. However, PPIs reduce acid production without addressing the underlying causes of reflux: lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction, delayed gastric emptying, hiatal hernia, gut dysbiosis, and dietary triggers. At Integrative Health Partners, Dr. Hendry treats acid reflux by addressing its root causes — reducing the need for long-term PPI use, which carries risks of magnesium deficiency, B12 depletion, increased infection risk, and bone loss.

How Acid Reflux Treatment Works

Acid reflux treatment at IHP combines acupuncture (which reduces esophageal and gastric hypersensitivity, improves LES tone, and promotes gastric emptying), Chinese herbal medicine (particularly Zuo Jin Wan for Liver-invading-Stomach pattern; Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang for Stomach Disharmony), and functional medicine assessment including H. pylori testing, gastric acid level assessment, food sensitivity panel, and SIBO testing.

Conditions Treated with Acid Reflux Treatment

Your First Appointment

Bring a list of all reflux medications (PPIs, H2 blockers, antacids). Describe the pattern of your reflux: when it occurs, triggers (foods, positions, stress), presence of bloating, belching, or regurgitation, and any prior GI endoscopy findings.

Why Dr. Hendry for Acid Reflux Treatment

Dr. Hendry's understanding of GERD as a functional disorder with multiple treatable root causes — rather than a gastric acid excess problem — distinguishes his approach from conventional PPI management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not usually. Most GERD is caused by LES dysfunction that allows normal amounts of acid to reflux into the esophagus. Many GERD patients actually have low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria), which causes bacterial overgrowth, incomplete protein digestion, and fermentation that pushes acidic contents upward. PPIs worsen this long-term.
Yes — multiple clinical trials have found acupuncture reduces esophageal acid exposure, improves LES pressure, and reduces GERD symptom scores. It works through autonomic regulation of gastric function rather than acid suppression.
Eliminating triggers (alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, fatty foods, citrus, tomatoes, spicy foods, raw onion), eating smaller meals, not eating within 3 hours of bedtime, and elevating the head of bed all reduce GERD symptoms significantly.
PPI discontinuation should be done gradually (PPI rebound worsens symptoms temporarily if stopped abruptly) and coordinated with your prescribing physician. Natural treatment is most effectively started while you are still on PPIs, then doses are reduced as symptoms improve.
6–12 sessions alongside dietary modification. H. pylori or SIBO treatment (if found) has its own protocol timeline.
Integrative Health Partners, 319 Wade Hampton Blvd, Ste A, Greenville, SC 29609. Call (864) 365-6156.

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