Why does touching my temples hurt?
If the throbbing pain in your temples becomes a constant headache and it's painful to touch your temples, you may have temporal arteritis. This condition — also called cranial arteritis and giant-cell arteritis — is caused by inflammation of the temporal arteries.
They can be felt in one or both temples in the form of pain, pressure, dull achiness, or intense throbbing. The most common causes of temple headaches include tension in the head, neck, or back, migraines, TMJ disorders, and infections. They can also be caused by a tumor, but this is much rarer.
Headaches that are accompanied by fever, stiff neck, confusion, decreased alertness or memory, or neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or seizures. Headaches that are accompanied by a painful red eye. Headaches that are accompanied by pain and tenderness near the ...
Due to the weak structure of the skull and the sensitive arterial system underneath this area, the 'temple" is a prime area for inducing trauma to the brain.
Ease muscle tension
Or apply ice or a cool washcloth to the forehead. Massage also can relieve muscle tension — and sometimes headache pain. Gently massage your temples, scalp, neck and shoulders with your fingertips, or gently stretch your neck.
Throbbing pain in the temples, especially on just one side of your head, is typically a symptom of migraine pain.
The most common type of headache is a tension headache, which feels like someone is pressing on or squeezing your head -- sometimes spreading to or from the neck. The cause is attributed to tightness in the muscles of the neck, jaw, scalp, and shoulders. The next most common headache type is a migraine.
What does it mean when you have pressure at the top of your head? It means you have a tension headache if you have pressure at the top of your head in most cases. If the pressure is severe or you're worried about other symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.
They are often described as dull, "pressure-type" headaches, though some patients also experience sharp or "stabbing" pain. They can be localized to a specific area or generalized. They can be made worse with coughing, sneezing or straining.
Pain from a dehydration headache can range from mild to severe. You may feel pain all over your head or in just one spot, such as the back, front or side. The pain is usually like a dull ache, but it can also be sharp. You may have a throbbing (pounding) headache, or the pain might be constant.
What happens when you rub your temples?
Stress relief
“By massaging the muscles around the temples, jaw and neck we can relax them and prevent pulling and tugging.” As well as having a direct impact on muscle tension, massage to the head, she says, when performed slowly and firmly, can trigger relaxation and stress relief.
Massage also can relieve muscle tension — and sometimes headache pain. Gently massage your temples, scalp, neck and shoulders with your fingertips, or gently stretch your neck.

A person may be able to treat a tension headache with over-the-counter pain relief medication, relaxation, and stress management. If muscle tension is creating a feeling of pressure in the face and temples, try: a heated compress. a warm bath.
Each trigeminal ganglion is located near your temple at the side of your head, in front of your ear. The trigeminal ganglion splits into three trigeminal nerve branches. These branches travel along each side of your head to different parts of your face.
Massage Therapy to Ease Headaches and Tension
Start by placing your thumbs on your cheekbones close to your ears, and use your fingertips to gently apply pressure and rub the temples (the soft spot between the corner of your eye and your ear).
M-HN-9 (Taiyang): Located at tender depressions of the temples on both sides of the head, pressing on M-HN-9 is another common acupressure strategy for headache relief. M-HN-3 (Yintang): This is the spot in the center of your forehead at the halfway point between your eyebrows.
With acupressure, you put pressure on certain places on your body. These places are called acupoints (AK-yoo-poynts). Pressing these acupoints can help your muscles relax and improve your blood flow. It can also help with many common side effects of chemotherapy, such as pain and headaches.
Self-pain-relieving maneuvers are self-soothing behaviors a person does to ease the pain in their body, like that of a headache. These are commonly used by people suffering from a tension headache or migraine.