Temporalis

Looks like

A broad fan-shaped muscle over the temple, narrowing to attach to the lower jaw.

What it does

Closes the jaw and pulls it back when chewing.

Keeping it well

Clenching and grinding overwork it and cause temple headaches; in people over 50, new temple pain with jaw pain on chewing can be giant-cell arteritis, needing same-day care.

Related conditions

• Bell's palsy
• Botulism
• Fibromyalgia
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Heat exhaustion & heatstroke
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Muscular dystrophy
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Sarcoma
• Sarcopenia
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Tension-type headache
• Tetanus