Muscular Tension Headaches: Self-Massage for the Suboccipitals, Temporalis, and Frontalis

There are big and small muscles on your head and upper neck that can contribute to headache pain, and many people are surprised to learn that. When people think about muscles, they usually think about the shoulders, back, or jaw. But the forehead, temples, and the small muscles at the base of the skull can also become tender and irritated, and those areas are often involved in tension-type headache patterns. (PubMed)

If you get headaches that seem to come with tightness in the temples, forehead, or the base of the skull, gentle self-massage may help. Tension headaches are often described as a dull, pressure-like pain or a tight band around the head, and they can also involve tenderness in the scalp, temples, and back of the neck. (MedlinePlus)

In this article, I want to keep the technique simple. For this kind of self-massage, the exact hand position matters less than pressure, comfort, and whether the area feels like it is easing up. The main idea is to work into tender spots at about a 4 or 5 out of 10 on your own pain scale. That should feel like “hurts so good,” not “too much.”

The Basic Rule: Stay Around a 4 or 5 Out of 10

​A good way to self-treat these muscles is to use your own 1 to 10 pain scale.

• 1 to 3 = very mild pressure
• 4 to 5 = therapeutic tenderness, the “hurts so good” range
• 6 and up = usually too intense for this kind of work

For most people, a 4 or 5 out of 10 is enough. You want pressure that feels meaningful, but not aggressive. In trigger point work, pressure is commonly applied for about 10 to 20 seconds to reproduce and then ease familiar pain, but you do not need to chase intensity. (PubMed)

For this approach, I recommend holding no longer than 15 seconds, and often less. Personally, I like shorter holds and then I like to come back to the same tender spot again.

Why Revisit the Same Spot?

​Why Revisit the Same Spot?A simple pattern that many people notice is this: you press a tender spot, back off, then come back with the same amount of pressure, and the spot may feel less painful the second time.

That can happen, but I want to be careful here: the exact reason is not fully settled, so this part is somewhat speculative. One possible explanation is that a short bout of pressure may temporarily change local sensitivity or calm the nervous system’s response to that area. Research does show that people with tension-type headaches often have increased tenderness and altered pain sensitivity in pericranial muscles, including muscles around the head and neck. (PubMed)

So if a spot feels better on the second or third pass, that is a useful clinical observation, even if we cannot fully explain every case. The practical takeaway is simple: less pain with the same pressure is usually a good sign.

The Three Areas to Focus On

Suboccipitals:​​The Small Muscles at the Base of the Skull

​​The suboccipital muscles are a group of small muscles under the back of the head. They help with head posture, extension, and rotation. These muscles can become irritated when your head spends a lot of time forward, when you stare at a screen for too long, or when your upper neck stays tense. (NCBI)

These muscles matter because headache pain is not always coming from the spot where you feel it most. Trigger points in neck and head muscles can produce referred pain, meaning the tension starts in one place but is felt somewhere else. Research on tension-type headache has linked active trigger points in suboccipital and other head-and-neck muscles with headache symptoms. (PubMed)

How to Massage the Suboccipitals

​Lie on your back or sit comfortably. Use your fingertips to find the tender areas just under the ridge at the base of your skull. Ease into a spot that feels familiar and tender, but stay in that 4 to 5 out of 10 range. Hold briefly, usually 5 to 15 seconds, then back off. Recheck. Come back again if it feels like the tenderness is starting to drop.
Do not grind hard, jam into the tissue, or hold your breath.

Temporalis

The temporalis is the broad muscle on the side of the head above the ear. It helps elevate the jaw, and its posterior fibers also help retract the mandible. In plain English, it is one of the muscles involved in closing the jaw and controlling bite force. (NCBI)

That matters because people who clench, grind, or carry tension in the jaw often get tenderness in the temple region. Research has associated active trigger points in the temporalis with greater headache intensity and longer headache duration in chronic tension-type headache. (PubMed)

How to Self-Massage the Temporalis

Place your fingertips over the temples and explore for a tender band or spot. You can make small circles, hold steady pressure, or gently sink in and wait. Again, the exact technique is less important than finding the right pressure dose. Stay around a 4 or 5 out of 10, hold for under 15 seconds, and then recheck.

If you find one obvious tender point, try returning to it two or three times rather than forcing one long hold.

Frontalis

The frontalis is part of the occipitofrontalis muscle and is responsible for raising the eyebrows. It is one of the muscles of facial expression, but it can also feel tight and achy when someone spends the day squinting, concentrating, or carrying tension in the forehead. (NCBI)

The frontalis is not usually discussed as much as the jaw or neck muscles, but clinically it can still be a useful area to check in people who feel forehead pressure or tension across the front of the head.

How to Self-Massage the Frontalis

Use your fingertips across the forehead. You can work from the eyebrows upward or move side to side across the muscle. The pressure should be gentle to moderate, not aggressive. Because this area can be sensitive, it often responds better to short holds and repeated passes than to deep pressure.

If the area feels like it is easing up, you are probably in a good range.

Technique Matters Less Than the Right Feeling

​This is worth repeating: for this kind of self-massage, technique is less important than pressure and symptom response.
You do not need a fancy method. You do not need to overcomplicate angles. What matters most is:

• you found a spot that feels relevant
• you used a tolerable pressure, around 4 to 5 out of 10
• you did not stay there too long
• the area felt less painful, less tight, or less headache-y afterward

​
That is the goal.

A Simple Self-Massage Routine for Tension-Related Headaches

​​Try this:

Step 1: Start at the base of the skull and find 1 or 2 tender suboccipital spots.
Step 2: Use brief pressure, about 5 to 15 seconds.
Step 3: Move to the temples and repeat.
Step 4: Finish with the forehead using lighter pressure.
Step 5: Return to the most helpful spot and see whether the same pressure feels easier the second time.

The whole process does not need to take long. Even a few minutes may be enough.

A Few Important Cautions

This article is about muscular tension headaches, not every kind of headache. Most headaches are not caused by a dangerous condition, but some headaches do need medical attention. Seek urgent care right away for a sudden severe headache, headache after a head injury, or headache with fever, stiff neck, rash, weakness, numbness, confusion, trouble speaking, seizure, or vision changes. (Cleveland Clinic)

Also, stop the massage if the pressure makes you feel worse, gives you unusual symptoms, or clearly aggravates the headache.

Final Thought

If you get headaches from muscular tension, do not overlook the small and large muscles on the head and upper neck. The suboccipitals, temporalis, and frontalis can all be part of the picture. For many people, the best self-massage is not the fanciest one. It is the one where you find the right spot, use the right amount of pressure, stay in the 4 to 5 out of 10 range, and notice whether the area starts to calm down.

Sometimes shorter holds work better. Sometimes revisiting the same spot works better than staying there. And sometimes the best sign you are on the right track is simple: the same pressure hurts less when you come back to it.​

Need Help with Tension Headaches?

If tight muscles in your head, jaw, or neck are contributing to your headaches, professional massage may help. Learn more about our services at our Berwyn location or our Phoenixville location.