Chinese Medicine Clinic Services

Menstrual Pain Treatment in Greenville, SC

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

Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) — painful cramping before and during menstruation — is one of the most common gynecological complaints worldwide and one of the strongest indications for Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. At Integrative Health Partners, Dr. Hendry treats menstrual pain using a combination of classical Chinese herbal formulas (which have Cochrane-reviewed evidence for dysmenorrhea), acupuncture, and functional medicine assessment for underlying conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, and hormonal imbalance.

How Menstrual Pain Treatment Works

Menstrual pain treatment at IHP combines Chinese herbal medicine (prescribed based on whether the pattern is Cold-type cramps, Blood Stasis pain, Qi Stagnation, or deficiency pain) with acupuncture (weekly or biweekly through the cycle, with additional sessions in the premenstrual week). Functional medicine assessment evaluates prostaglandin balance (omega-3:6 ratio), estrogen dominance, progesterone deficiency, and structural causes requiring gynecological evaluation.

Conditions Treated with Menstrual Pain Treatment

Your First Appointment

Bring a menstrual cycle diary if possible: cycle length, flow heaviness, clot presence, pain location (cramping vs. lower back vs. thigh), onset relative to bleeding, and what helps or worsens it. These details are highly diagnostic for Chinese medical pattern differentiation.

Why Dr. Hendry for Menstrual Pain Treatment

Dr. Hendry's DAOM training in Chinese gynecology includes advanced coursework in menstrual disorders. His in-house pharmacy allows same-day dispensing of the herbal formulas most effective for each dysmenorrhea pattern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — multiple randomized controlled trials and a systematic review found acupuncture significantly effective for primary dysmenorrhea, with effects comparable to NSAIDs and ibuprofen.
Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis), Chuan Xiong, Chi Shao, and their classical formulas (Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang for Cold Blood Stasis, Ge Xia Zhu Yu Tang for Blood Stasis with Qi Stagnation) have the strongest evidence for dysmenorrhea. A 2008 Cochrane review found Chinese herbal medicine superior to NSAIDs and hormonal treatments for primary dysmenorrhea.
Yes — while acupuncture and herbs cannot remove endometriotic lesions, they reduce the inflammatory pain, prostaglandin excess, and hormonal imbalance driving endometriosis pain. Many patients achieve significant pain reduction that allows reduced NSAID or hormonal medication use.
Most patients notice improvement by cycle 2–3. Full resolution of dysmenorrhea typically requires 3–6 months of consistent Chinese medicine treatment.
Treatment is most effective when started 7–10 days before the expected menstrual onset. However, starting at any point in the cycle is beneficial.
Integrative Health Partners, 319 Wade Hampton Blvd, Ste A, Greenville, SC 29609. Call (864) 365-6156.

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