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If you always experience a splitting pain in your temple, it is likely that you are suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder. The main reason why such joint disorder often induce a painful throb in your temple can be credited to your trigeminal nerve which is considered as one of the most complex nerves in the body. It is closely associated with your temporomandibular joint, which is responsible for the functions of your jaw and teeth. This same nerve is responsible for feeding sensation and function into your jaw, tongue, face, sinus, eyes, teeth and lips.

Trigeminal nerves are also affiliated with facial, hypoglossal, and vagus nerves. All of these nerves control the sensation and functions of your temple, neck, and throat muscles. Many branches of these nerves pass through your temporomandibular joint, and if one of these nerves is upset, they end up hurting the other three. Hence, the trigeminal nerve is one of the root causes of TMJ headaches.

You don't have to endure the maddening pain you feel because of your TMJ headaches. There are natural ways how you can relieve yourself from this pain. Begin your therapy by consuming soft foods for a week or two. Remember that temporomandibular joint disorder often happens due to the stress and tension build up in your jaw and facial muscles. By engaging in a diet made up of soft foods like rice, bananas, and pudding among others for at least a week per month, you can significantly reduce the stress and tension in your jaw, permitting it to relax.

Next, alternately apply cold and warm compression to your jaw. To do this, wrap a bottle filled with hot water in a towel and use this heat compression on both sides of your jaw and your temple for at least 15 minutes. After doing the hot compression, apply a cold compress on your jaw and temple using an ice pack wrapped in a towel for 15 minutes. You can repeat this process every hour if necessary in order to reduce the pain of TMJ headaches.

Of course, you should also do jaw exercises. Exercises and stretches can greatly aid in preventing the occurrence of migraines induced by temporomandibular joint disorder, especially if they are executed on a daily basis. To facilitate this, one of the simplest exercises you can do is to slowly open your mouth as wide as you can and then by applying a soft pressure, press your fist to your chin as this action will help in pushing your jaw back to its position. Do this for at least 30 seconds and then slowly close your mouth. Repeat this exercise at least four times per day.

Jaw massage is also helpful in alleviating migraines and other pains in your temple, including the tension in your face and jaw. To do this, gently rub the hinges where your jaw and skull joints meet. Continuously massage the whole area until the pain is gone. If you will be able to follow and apply all these home remedies, the pain that you usually feel in your temple will surely be reduced.