Severe head tension

[angieuk]

Hi all I am suffering from nearly continuous severe head tension. It feels like I have straps round my head and it gets tighter and tighter but I dont have pain with it. I also get a lot of tension in my shoulders and neck. I wake in the morning and my jaw is clamped tight and even my eyes hurt until I blink a few times.
I was on diazepam for 36 years and am off them 5 years but still suffer from a lot of bad muscle tension and am sure this along with anxiety is causing it all. I am now getting depressed with it.
I had lots of blood tests done all of which are normal.
Does anyone else get this at all and how do you cope with it. I use 4head a lot but have tried not to so much in case it makes things worse. Does anyone else use it. Its amazing for a short while but then wears off.
i have had sinus problems too which I know dont help and I keep trying to steam.
Any encouragement and advice would be really welcome cos I am at the end of my tether with it all.
Angie x

[angieuk]

Anyone out there who can relate to this? Angiex

[anxiety nightmare]

hi,ive had the same thing for over 20 years,and up to now,ive not been able to get rid of it,feels like your head is in a vice,or like a weight on top of your head .the elastic band you mention,is the muscles in your scalp tightened up,,the severity of it changes,sometimes its bearable,and it can be like that for months,other times its so bad ,i dont get out of bed:weep:ive learned to live with it,not much else i can do

[bignik]

I had this and due to the anxiety problems / high blood pressure which was ok and normal before anxiety kicked in was prescribed atenolol ( a beta blocker ) 4 weeks ago and it stopped so perhaps a possible solution

[swgrl09]

Wow, could have written your post myself. Try getting a massage if you can, sometimes you can get discounts at massage therapy schools. Also try alternating ice and warm compresses. Stretch out when you wake up and if you have been sitting for a while. A massage therapist told me that one way to help neck and head tension is to sit on the couch and hang off it upside down!!! Gravity does it's work by pulling your head downwards and stretching it out. I did not try this though, I didn't want to look stupid, haha.

Accupuncture - multiple sessions - also helped me get rid of pain and keep it away for a few months. Eventually life got stressful and it came back, but I may have to set up a few appointments again.