Summary
Dr. Perry Nickelston highlights the overlooked role of tongue posture and function in chronic pain and nervous system regulation. He explains how the tongue connects directly to the vagus nerve and brainstem, making it a powerful tool for shifting out of fight-or-flight. The episode provides awareness of how tongue tension contributes to chronic pain patterns and offers practical exercises to address it.
Key Points
- The tongue is directly connected to the vagus nerve and brainstem through cranial nerves
- Chronic tongue tension can keep the nervous system locked in fight-or-flight
- Tongue posture affects breathing, jaw tension, and cervical spine alignment
- Proper tongue rest position is against the roof of the mouth with the tip behind the front teeth
- Simple tongue exercises can help shift the nervous system toward parasympathetic dominance
- Checking tongue tension should be part of any chronic pain assessment
- Tongue scraping and massage can release tension and improve vagal tone
- Awareness is the first step; you can't change what you're not aware of
Key Moments
Tongue placement and nasal breathing to exit fight-or-flight
Dr. Nickelston introduces a daily exercise combining tongue placement at the roof of the mouth with nasal breathing and cervical extension to help shift the nervous system out of chronic fight-or-flight patterns.
"tongue placement at the roof of the mouth, which will be really great. Also working a muscle in your neck called your platisma."
The full tongue-to-roof nasal breathing exercise protocol
Nickelston walks through the complete exercise: place the tip, middle, and back of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, pull the head back, and breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds and out for 6 seconds for one minute while pressing down and pulling apart.
"you'll take your tongue, the tip of the tongue, the middle of the tongue, and the back of the tongue up all to the roof of your mouth, keeping the tip off the front teeth like that."
Growling sound stimulates the vagus nerve
Nickelston explains how making a growling or hulk sound stimulates the vagus nerve through cranial nerve activation, helping take you out of fight-or-flight mode as a complement to the nasal breathing exercise.
"of growling sound also stimulates the vagus nerve which will help you take you out of fight or flight."
