[consul]

My question is. For the last month or so it is a little sensitive to the touch around the area of my right temple about one and half inches up from the top of my ear. I looked up a diagram and see that this area may be between what I see is called the temporal and pariental bone areas of the skull, or thereabouts. If I press my finger hard against the skin in that area it feels like it is bruised. But other than that if I do not touch it is OK. I feel the sensitivity also if I sleep on that side of my head, but it is not that uncomfortable. But it is always there when I touch to check.

I am male, aged 57, and generally far as far as I know. No recent sickness , aliments or problems of any kind.

I was wondering if anyone may be able to throw a light on a possible cause for this symptom as I have been thinking about it for a while , mainly hoping it will go away while doing so. Thanks a lot.

[wasabi]

Consul,

Not being your doc, I cannot diagnose. I can only throw out an idea or two for you to consider.

Do you clench or grind your teeth? It seem to me that what you are describing could be caused by muscle tension which causes ischemia to the area you are describing. The muscle in the area you are describing is called the temporalis muscle. It's pretty thin especially if it is overworked and stretched tight, so you might not realize that you are pressing on muscle. I would think that stroke would cause numbness or paralysis to the area. I would think that a damaged nerve would cause you considerable pain when you pressed hard in the area as you described.


I have experienced something similar. I have some training as a massage therapist, so I was able to massage myself. I notice that the problem sometimes occurs when I am beginning to come down with a cold or some other sort of viral infection.

Going to a very knowledgeable massage therapist might help - one who knows which related muscle groups to massage in addition to the temporalis muscle (the muscle giving the symptoms is often not the real or only source of the problem). Also, adequate magnesium is extremely important. I take Ionic-Fizz Magnesium Plus, others have had success with Peter Gillham Natural Vitality Natural Calm. To learn more about magnesium, go to the "Magnesium Information" thread on the "Vitamins, Nutrients, Herbs and Supplements" forum on this website.

Good luck and God bless.