Trigger Point: Temporalis


Please be sure to refer to What Are Trigger Points and How To Release Trigger Points when working on trigger points at home. As always, please consult with your primary care physician prior to any type of treatment.

Temporalis: Muscular Origins, Insertions, Actions, and Nerve Innervations

The temporalis muscle originates along the temporal fossa and the fascia of the skull; it inserts into the coronoid process of the mandible. When working, the temporalis elevates the mandible at the temporomandibular joint, and it retracts the mandible. The main nerve associated with this muscle is the trigeminal nerve.

Temporalis Trigger Points: Location and Possible Symptoms

 
 
When a trigger point is active in the temporalis muscle, you may experience a headache in the side and front of the head. These trigger points can also can pain and/or hypersensitivity in the upper teeth.

Trigger points found in the sternocleidomastoid and  masseter muscles have been known to activate trigger points within the temporalis muscle. That is why it is very important to work on all three muscles at once when releasing the temporalis muscle, because if you leave the other two unattended they can reactivate the temporalis trigger point again after having already worked it out.

Corinne D. Bracko-Douglas, CMT, LMT, CKTP is the owner of Dochas Clinical Massage Therapy based out of Columbia, MO. She received her diploma in Clinical Massage Therapy from The Soma Institute in Chicago, IL in 2004. She enjoys teaching others about how to live a healthy lifestyle and still works one on one with clients out of her private clinic. When not working as a therapist she can be found enjoying trail hikes with her wonderful husband, Lee, and their adorable doggos, Shadow and Koda, or trying out fun new workouts to expand her knowledge of the human body and how it functions.

The advice given in these articles is not meant to diagnose. Please always consult with a health care provider before performing any of the techniques described upon yourself.

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