Head and Neck

Trigger points in the jaw, face, neck and upper shoulder muscles are among the most common causes of tension-type headache, temple pain, jaw pain and a stiff neck. Many of these patterns are referred: a trigger point in the trapezius or sternocleidomastoid can be felt behind the eye or at the temple, far from the muscle itself.

This Head and Neck page lists 26 symptom patterns and 19 muscles. Start with the symptom that matches where you feel pain: each symptom page shows which muscles are the primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Then open a muscle page to see where its trigger points sit, how to locate them by palpation, common causes and evidence-based self-care.

Referred pain maps describe typical patterns, so use them as a starting point rather than a diagnosis. Trigger points often develop in groups: when one muscle in this region is overloaded, its neighbours usually compensate, which is why the symptom pages list several muscles. If pain is severe, constant, follows an injury or comes with numbness, weakness, fever or night pain, see a clinician before trying self-treatment.