Fertility Treatment in Greenville, SC
Fertility Treatment at IHP Greenville — TCM, in-house herbal pharmacy, functional medicine. Dr. Hendry, DAOM. 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
Paulus's 2002 Fertil Steril trial and Smith's 2006 replication both showed acupuncture on embryo transfer day improved clinical pregnancy rates. I've been working with IVF patients since those papers came out. What I've learned is that the real work happens in the three months before retrieval — during folliculogenesis — not on transfer day. Follicular development takes 90 days. The acupuncture and herbal medicine you do now are influencing the egg quality for next cycle. I start fertility treatment a minimum of three months before any target date, and I evaluate both partners because male factor is present in 40–50% of infertility cases and is consistently undertreated.
How Fertility Treatment Works
Fertility treatment begins with a detailed reproductive history and functional medicine assessment: full hormone panel (day 3 FSH, LH, AMH, estradiol; luteal phase progesterone; testosterone, DHEA), thyroid panel, inflammatory markers, and vitamin D. Acupuncture is scheduled weekly and intensified around key cycle events (ovulation, embryo transfer for IVF). Chinese herbal medicine targets the specific pattern driving infertility — Blood Deficiency, Kidney Yang Deficiency (poor follicular development), Kidney Yin Deficiency (thin uterine lining), or Qi Stagnation with Blood Stasis.
Conditions Treated with Fertility Treatment
Acupuncture and Herbal Fertility Support vs. Clomid/Letrozole as First-Line Intervention
Clomiphene citrate and letrozole are appropriate first-line ovulation induction agents for anovulatory infertility — particularly in PCOS — and their efficacy for this indication is well-established. The clinical question is not whether these medications work, but whether every patient with subfertility requires pharmacological ovulation induction before functional evaluation and optimization. A woman with irregular cycles, mild thyroid dysfunction, chronic stress-related HPA suppression, and nutritional deficiencies affecting follicle quality may achieve spontaneous ovulation and conception through targeted functional medicine intervention without pharmacological induction. Placing her directly on Clomid without this evaluation means treating the symptom of anovulation while the underlying drivers — thyroid insufficiency, insulin resistance, adrenal dysregulation — remain active and continue to impair both ovulation quality and implantation environment. Our fertility protocol evaluates these upstream factors first, using acupuncture to regulate the HPG axis and improve uterine perfusion while herbal medicine supports ovarian function and cycle regularity. For patients who ultimately require ART, the evidence of Paulus WE et al. (Fertil Steril, 2002) and Smith C et al. (Fertil Steril, 2006) supports acupuncture co-treatment to optimize implantation outcomes at embryo transfer.
Research & Evidence
Fertility optimization requires addressing cycle regularity, ovarian reserve quality, uterine receptivity, and — in coupled presentations — male factor parameters including sperm motility and morphology. Acupuncture influences this system through multiple pathways: hypothalamic GnRH pulsatility regulation, ovarian blood flow enhancement, uterine artery resistance reduction, and HPA axis normalization in stress-related anovulation. Paulus WE et al. (Fertil Steril, 2002;77(4):721-724) demonstrated in a controlled trial that acupuncture performed on the day of embryo transfer significantly increased clinical pregnancy rates compared to controls — a finding that initiated a substantial body of reproductive acupuncture research. Smith C et al. (Fertil Steril, 2006;88(5):1149-1156) confirmed that acupuncture stimulation positively influenced pregnancy rates in women undergoing embryo transfer, with proposed mechanisms including uterine blood flow augmentation and endometrial receptivity enhancement. Chinese herbal medicine contributes additional mechanisms: formulas targeting kidney essence and blood nourishment support folliculogenesis and oocyte quality through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hormonal precursor pathways. Zhu X et al. (Cochrane, 2008) documented the cycle-regulating effects of Chinese herbal medicine in gynecological conditions, consistent with its empirical application in fertility support.
Your First Appointment
Bring all prior fertility testing: semen analysis, HSG, ovarian reserve testing (AMH, antral follicle count), hormone labs, and any IVF consultation notes. Dr. Hendry reviews these alongside his Chinese medical findings to build the most complete picture.
Why Dr. Hendry for Fertility Treatment
Dr. Hendry's DAOM training in Chinese gynecology included advanced study of fertility disorders from the classical literature — with specific protocols from Ye Tianshi's work on tiao jing (menstrual regulation for fertility). His functional medicine training adds the laboratory investigation dimension most purely Chinese medicine practitioners cannot offer.