24/7 head pressure for 5 years, severity 2-8/10, no pain — anyone experienced this?
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Male, early 30s. Constant head pressure/tightness for \~5 years — not sharp pain, more a band-like tightness always present at some level, fluctuating 2-8/10 by the day. Doesn't stop daily tasks but is a real drag on quality of life.
Saw 5-6 doctors early on, all said "tension headache." MRI done early — clean. Not on any medication now; stopped chasing it after a couple of years since nothing changed.
On high-severity days specifically:
\- Temples, jaw, neck, and face feel tender to touch — feels good to massage those spots
\- Neck feels tight when stretched upward
\- My jaw/surrounding muscles tighten and lips shift to one side — I can keep this still if I'm consciously focusing on it, but it happens whenever I'm not actively paying attention. Also shows up in candid photos I wasn't posing for
\- Faint lines visible inside my cheek, exactly where upper and lower teeth meet when biting down
No tobacco/alcohol. "Tension headache" hasn't led to any actual treatment.
Anyone dealt with this combo — constant pressure, tender muscles, involuntary jaw/lip movement, clean MRI, "just tension headache" from every doctor? What was the real diagnosis, and what helped?