S2 E49: Hormones and the Brain with Michelle Rusk, MA, CCC-SLP

Written By Eryn Martin

Struggling to feel energized and well post brain injury?  Are you finding that you process and think differently? Michelle Rusk of Coastal Speech Therapy and Wellness addresses all of these things through providing speech therapy with a wellness coach’s touch.  Not only can she address apraxia, aphasia, cognitive and executive function issues, but her focus on holistic wellness coaching allows her to look at how hormonal changes impact your biology, social, psychological, and spiritual health.  

Join us in this episode to hear more about her multi-pronged approach.  Learn about hormonal influences on your brain and how testing and lifestyle adjustments could affect you for the better.

In this episode:

  • Michelle started as a speech therapist in the hospital specializing in brain injury patients.  She believes your time in the hospital is the beginning of your healing.

    • Michelle believes in approaching patients as you would your own family member remembering that each encounter is a positive experience that sets the stage for healing

  • Michelle started the path to holistic wellness when she encountered her own autoimmune problems.  Removing gluten was instrumental in her healing

    • She saw improvements with mood and brain fog and got her wellness back

  • The Wellness side of her business looks at hormonal imbalances using the Dutch Test method as the basis for an individualized lifestyle plan

  • Coastal Speech Therapy and Wellness is a private pay clinic that holistically looks at a person and treats you with more natural means beyond medication. It has a focus on lifestyle and dietary adjustments. From the Wellness side she can treat globally.  For speech services she can treat patients in Virginia. 

    • At the clinic Michelle is able to work outside the constraints of insurance which allows a more individualized approach and is able to spend more time with her patients

  • Hormones and their connection to the brain.  

    • Also refer to Episode 23: Hormonal Havoc: Imbalance after Injury with Dr. Tamara Wexler, Neuroendocrinologist (link below)

    • The prefrontal cortex is the front of your brain and controls all executive function.  It is all your thinking, reasoning, planning, judgment, safety, and personality. It is commonly affected if you have had a traumatic brain injury.  

    • There are nerve bundles that run from the prefrontal cortex to the hormone glands like the pituitary and hypothalamus.  

    • The hypothalamus is the hormone hub.  It decides what needs to be sent and when

    • Hormones control more then just sex.  They are involved in stress responses too. 

    • Males and females may have different levels of emotional intelligence and abilities to self report how they are feeling

    • Hormones happen all day and night affecting how you feel

  • The 4 aspects of a person have to all be addressed because they all happen in concert: Biological, Social, Psychological, and Spiritual

    • Biological- sleep, nutrition, exercise, basic biological functions, chemical and hormonal responses

    • Social- your environment and relationship with others.  One of the biggest impacts brain injury has on people. 

      • Many side effects of brain injury affect your ability to tolerate social situations–sounds, lights, high stimulation, and multiple sensations can make it difficult to tolerate social situations post injury.

    • Psychological: self-talk, self-worth, and body image.  Many struggle with this post injury.  

    • Some doctors are trying to really address the 4 aspects of a person.  SPECT scans By Dr. Amen at Amen clinics seek to quantify issues in each category by showing it on a scan. 

      • These scans show doctors not only the brain itself but how it is functioning.  The pictures actually show where the problems are–it shows holes in specific parts of the brain.  Once they determine the damaged areas they have protocols to help treat you based on your individualized scans.  

    • Spiritual: how we are all connected, why we are here, and our purpose.  A very personal experience.  Many brain injury survivors may have had spiritual experiences. 

  • Hormones impact all 4 aspects of a person

    • Our biology is determined by our hormones

    • Our mood and cognition are affected by hormones which then affect our social and psychological well being 

    • Our spiritual selves are energetic balances within our body which again are impacted by our hormone shifts

      • We are energetic/spiritual beings going through a physical experience

  • Dutch Testing

    • A hormone test done through evaluating your urine throughout the day. 

    • It looks at your sex hormones and adrenals throughout the day to see if they are functioning normally.  Are they balanced?

    • The results are very individualized

    • Some results may warrant a visit to an endocrinologist for replacement therapies and treatments

    • More nuanced hormonal issues can be treated with lifestyle changes like dietary adjustments

  • Support us at:

  • Patreon

  • Donate section on our website.  10% of profits go to our favorite non-profit of the moment

Eryn Martin
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S2 E50: Survivor Story: Running Your Way Through Depression with Brooke Trotter
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S2 E48: Brain Health, Concussion Recovery, and Meditation with Heather Van Tassel