About
Nicole Carey Acupuncture
Nicole Carey is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine with over 13 years experience.
Upon completion of her final year of Acupuncture study at Grant MacEwan University, Nicole became pregnant with her first child. The next five years brought on a primary focus of providing support to women during all stages of fertility, pregnancy, pre-birth, labour, and postnatal support. Her treatments and support to multiple families grew and Nicole’s success in induction acupuncture matured and flourished.
As a mother of active boys in various sports, keeping them healthy and fit was her biggest goal. Providing her boys with individualized treatments and sharing plans and ideas with families around the Calgary area at playgrounds, fields and arenas.
Further expanding her knowledge, Nicole added dietary therapy and Chinese and Western herbals to her specialization. This provided her with the tools needed to support patients successfully on all levels.
Families continue to visit Nicole for ongoing maintenance and acute care for a healthy balanced lifestyle well beyond the childbirth phase. Her expertise expanded in areas of general practice, supporting patients in the treatment of acute or chronic pain and/or injury, acute/chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia for children to adults, regulation and education on menstrual cycles for teenagers, depression, headaches/migraines, digestive disorders, IBS, pre/post surgical support, scar tissue release, as well as balancing out female hormones for women heading into or within the throes of menopause.
Nicole’s custom-tailored treatment plans will provide you with desired results along with the education to keep you or your family on track mentally, emotionally, and physically. Book an appointment with her today!
Acupuncture &
Traditional Chinese Medicine
As a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, I specialize in cupping, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, moxibustion, Japanese acupuncture and traditional acupuncture.
Classical Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a safe, effective, gentle, drug free modality, and
has been used for thousands of years.
Acupuncture needles are exceptionally thin, and generally, treatments
have little to no associated pain. Most people relax and are able to
meditate or nap while the needles remain in place.
With Acupuncture I am able to treat:
Fertility issues, pregnancy discomfort and pregnancy related symptoms, labour
induction, pain and injury, headaches & migraines, digestive issues, menopause,
anxiety, and more!
Acupuncture treats a broad spectrum of health issues, utilizing the body’s own
natural healing abilities by helping to re-balance the body through adjustments
to the body’s energy system.
Acupuncture is a safe, effective, and drug free option for the whole families health and wellness.
​
Sa'am Acupuncture
Sa’am acupuncture is unique among acupuncture practices for many reasons. Its minimal use of needles is perhaps the most strikingly unique feature for the patient who has had other forms of acupuncture treatment. Saam treats the body’s core imbalances with a 4-needle technique.
Japanese Acupuncture
In comparison to the Chinese style, Japanese acupuncture uses thinner needles and a gentler technique, with shallow insertion. Their diagnostic assessment relies heavily on palpation of the abdomen, back and various pulses along the meridian systems.
Pediatrics
Children love acupuncture! They are very quick to respond to the stimulation
of acupressure, tuina, cupping, herbals and acupuncture “taps".
There are a variety of non needling techniques and tools if there is any
needle hesitancy.
Pediatric Acupuncture can treat:
-
Allergies
-
Asthma
-
Rashes
-
Colds/flus
-
Ear infections
-
Frequent illness & low immunity
-
Seizures
-
Stress & anxiety
-
Behavior issues
-
And more!
Moxabustion
Moxabustion is a form of therapy that entails the burning of mugwort leaves. This is a small, spongy herb that is believed to enhance healing with acupuncture. Mugwort, or artemisia vulgaris, is a flowering plant in the daisy family.
Mugwort leaves are dried and ground into small sticks or cones called moxa (similar to incense), which are then lit and used to warm points on your body and relieve a variety of conditions.
Moxabustion is also very successful when used to flip breech babies during pregnancy.
Moxabustion can travel through the 12 meridians, which carry energy throughout the body. It is able to regulate qi and blood, dispel cold, warm yang and prevent diseases to maintain overall well-being.
Cupping
“Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation,
and you remove the pain.”
The old Chinese medical maxim holds that pain results from the congestion,
stagnation, and blockage of Qi, or vital energy, vital fluids, lymph, phlegm,
and blood. If pain is the essence of disease, then suffering is a result of obstructed
or irregular flow in the body. Chinese cupping is therefore a method of breaking
up the blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy.
Cupping uses small glass cups or bamboo jars as suction devices that are placed
on the skin using heat to aid in suction. It increases blood circulation to the area
where the cups are placed. This may relieve muscle tension, which can improve
overall blood flow and promote cell repair. It may also help form new connective
tissues and create new blood vessels in the tissue.
Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine
In the traditional system of Chinese herbal medicine, herbal formulas can be used to treat virtually any condition. Some of the most common uses in China include liver disease (hepatitis and cirrhosis), sexual dysfunction in men, infertility in women, insomnia, colds and flus, menstrual pain, irregular menstruation, menopause, and cancer treatment support.
Acupuncture is often used along with herbs as a supplemental treatment; in addition, extraordinarily detailed lifestyle suggestions are common.
Chinese herbal medicines are mainly plant based, but some preparations include minerals or animal products. They can be packaged as powders, pastes, lotions or tablets, depending on the herb and its intended use. Different herbs have different properties and can balance particular parts of the body. Prescribing a particular herb or concoction of herbs means the practitioner’s diagnosis has to take into account the state of the patient’s Yin and Yang, and the elements that are governing the affected organs.
Acupuncture as a Routine Pre-Birth Treatment
This set of treatments generally starts around 36-37 weeks gestation.
It is the most ideal therapy to help women prepare themselves for labour,
and can decrease labour and delivery times. Treatments are helpful in
calming the mind, regulating the nervous system, encouragement of softening,
dilation and effacement of the cervix, increase in micro-circulation for the
low abdomen, the uterus and the baby, opening and expanding the pelvic
girdle to allow for babies head to descend into the birthing canal, and an
increase in hormonal fluctuations in the mother's body to initiate into an effective
labour and delivery.
Breech and Posterior Positioning
The best chances to catch this is between 32-36 weeks gestation.
High success rates have been shown with the application of Moxibustion to Zhiyin UB - 67 at the end of the baby toe. It involves the use of a Moxa stick 1 inch above acupuncture point UB 67 bilaterally for 20 minutes, 1-2x per day for 10 days. In the first treatment of breech presentation, the demonstration plus a treatment is done. The woman is then given enough moxa sticks to complete the rest of the treatment at home. I fully encourage the help of a partner or support person, to assist the pregnant mother reach the spots at the end of her baby toes.
Birth Inductions
We see mother's come in, typically after 40 weeks gestation wanting to be gently nudged into labour, depending on each individuals presentation, diagnosis or urgency to have labour started by midwives or doctors.
Some of the reasons for this are post-term babies, premature rupture of the membranes, gestational diabetes, women with health problems such as hypertension, chronic renal problems, baby is not thriving in-utero, or the uterine environment is no longer healthy, or severe pain. Inductions may be offered earlier than 40 weeks with a doctor or midwives approval.
We choose points to regulate the qi flow to encourage opening and dilation of the cervix, increase hormonal fluctuations, and descend baby downward. Some women may experience contractions during treatment which is completely normal.