
The Whole Horse Podcast | Episode 38 | Cranial and endocrine geek-out with Elisse Miki
This episode of the Podcast is the geekiest we’ve ever gone! And that’s saying a lot. Elisse Miki of Equilibria Therapeutics and I venture into some of our favourite territory, the cranium, and more specifically the sphenoid bone, and its relationship to the master gland, the pituitary, and subsequent potential impact on the endocrine system. We also can’t help but get into all the interconnections, how to tell if your horse has a possible sphenoid issue, and what to do to help, as well as a conversation about Jenna, Elisse’s most recent and very fascinating rehabilitation project.
As a human and equine therapist with over 15 years of experience working with clients in a therapeutic setting, Elisse brings a wide variety of modalities into her practice. She began her career working as an Exercise Physiologist having completed her Bachelors in Kinesiology then went on to obtain her Registered Massage Therapy Licence. She has since gone on to complete Diplomas in Equine Therapy, Equine Craniosacral, and currently in the process of completing both her Human and Equine
Osteopathy Diplomas concurrently. Elisse is also an Instructor of RMT at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy and a Certified Equine Assisted Learning Instructor. Some of her clients include the Langley Equestrian Academy, Cloverdale Rodeo, and the International Professional Rugby 7s teams. Her current focus lies in research and development of current standards of practice in the equine industry. Elisse hosts clinics for horse owners and will be offering continuing education courses for existing health care professionals and equine therapists starting in January 2020.
Website – www.equilibriatherapeutics.com
Email – elisse@equilibriatherapeutics.com
Facebook Personal – https://www.facebook.com/elisse.miki
Facebook Business Page – Equilibria Therapeutics – https://www.facebook.com/elissemikirmt/
Resources and References
Plasma cortisol levels after head injury (1970) – University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1397145/?page=8
Hypopituitarism After Multiple Concussions: A Retrospective Case Study in an Adolescent Male (2007) – Journal of Athletic Training
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1978466/
Traumatic Brain Injury: At the Crossroads of Neuropathology and Common Metabolic Endocrinopathies (2018) – Journal of Clinical Medicine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5867585/
Epidemiology of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction: A systematic literature review of clinical presentation, disease prevalence and risk
factors
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023318300649
Normal ACTH Levels
http://www.thelaminitissite.org/ppid-faq/acth-interpretation
Pathophysiology of PPID & EMS; Clinical Signs; Testing; Insulin Dysregulation
https://www.thehorse.com/videos/33299/is-it-ppid-or-ems-diagnosing-equine-endocrine-disease
http://www.thelaminitissite.org/articles/is-it-ppid-or-is-it-ems
Endogenous Cushings Vs Pseudo Cushings
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/cushings-syndrome
Cushings Disease (defined, epidemiology, prevalence)
https://ojrd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1750-1172-7-41
Incidence of Cushings syndrome and Cushings disease in commercially-insured patients 65 years old in the United States.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24803324
Radiographic evidence of cranial bone mobility. Oleski SL, et al. Cranio. 2002.
Assessment of calvarial structure motion by MRI. William T Crow, Hollis H King, […], and Vincent Giuliano. 2006

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