How to relive neck pain?

Yes, I also face this constantly due to my desk job. Doing gentle neck tilts from side to side every hour helps a lot.

Try massaging your neck with some warm mustard oil mixed with a garlic clove for quick relief from muscle stiffness. A warm heating pad also helps relax the tight muscles. However, if your neck pain goes down your arm or causes numbness in your fingers, please see a doctor immediately.

I have been having this dull ache at the base of my skull since yesterday. Is it okay to use a hard neck collar to support it, or does that make the neck muscles lazy? I am not really sure how to handle this.

My orthopedist explained that constant neck strain is often due to cervical posture issues, which put extra load on the spine. He recommended maintaining ergonomic support at work and doing specific isometric neck exercises twice daily. He also warned against sudden jerky neck movements.

I used to get severe neck strain during my long study hours. What worked for me was keeping my laptop screen at eye level so I didn't have to look down constantly. Try using some pain relief gel and do very gentle chin tucks to relieve the tension.