An amazing way to reduce nerves and increase pain relief

Escudero

This is a weird and wonderful technique to increase a sense of ease - physically and mentally.

Originally created by Dr Angel Escudero to be used with patients who chose to be operated on without anaesthetic - not that I’m suggesting you try it for that but it just shows how powerful it can be! (You can google Noesitherapy for more information if you’re interested)

I’ve taught an adapted version to my clients to use in a range of situations such as - before a presentation, for an interview or appointment they might be worried about, for a flight or injection if they’re nervous and even for chronic pain.

How it works

The elements of the technique stimulate the Vagal Response Mechanism which activates the parasympathetic response - slows the heart rate, increases salivia and reduces adrenaline and the stress response.

A word on pain

Pain is a useful signal, it can tell us when we need to change position, seek advice or that we’re causing ourselves damage. I’m suggesting that you try this technqiue for pain if you’ve already done everything you can - either you’ve got treatment, you’ve investigated what is causing the pain, you’re resting appropriately etc.

Please listen and try it out. Do not drive or operate machinery when listening.

Steps

When we’re stressed or in pain we tend to focus on a particular point, we say something negative to ourselves and our mouth is dry (due to stress response and increase in adrenaline). The adapted Escudero technique counteracts all of these elements.

Wide easy gaze - like you’re stepping back in your mind and taking all the information of the space around you. Your eyes are still and in peripheral vision.

Make your mouth as wet as it can possibly be. Saliva has natural opiates in it. By having a wet mouth (rather than a dry mouth associated with stress) you’re sending a signal to the survival part of your brain that you are safe.

Say a positive statement 3 times to yourself in your head. State it in the positive ‘I’m calm’ rather than ‘I’m not stressed’. If I tell you not to think of a ‘blue tree’ you’d have to think of it first in order to not think about it - if that makes sense.

If you’re doing it to relieve pain - then focus on the particular area - ‘my shoulder is becoming more comfortable’ and visualise the tension easing.

The more you do it the easier it gets and the stronger the response. It’s definitely a strange technique but I’ve seen so much success with it in a wide range of contexts. I hope it help you for whatever you use it for.