I bought one of these. It was super awesome. So awesome that my wife claimed it as her own, and I bought another to replace it.
I've tried huge pillows, small pillows, soft pillows, hard pillows, foam, goose down, synthetic fill, traditionally-shaped, curved, you name it.
That one is the one I'm happiest with. If you do buy it, open it up and let it sit on a flat surface in a warmish room for a couple hours and then chuck it in the dryer for a half hour or so.
I recently got this one and so far am loving it. Bought two so I could add even more fluff to it. Keeps its form well and reshapes quickly.
Dream Rite Shredded Hypoallergenic Memory Foam Pillow WonderSleep Series Luxury Adjustable Loft Home Pillow Hotel Collection Grade Washable Removable Cooling Bamboo Derived Rayon Cover- Queen 1 Pack https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B075QN5V5H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_ZAKQ9J1KV9T21YYV0M8A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Dream Rite Shredded Hypoallergenic Memory Foam Pillow WonderSleep Series Luxury Adjustable Loft Home Pillow Hotel Collection Grade Washable Removable Cooling Bamboo Derived Rayon Cover- Queen 1 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075QN5V5H/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_NF4EV9MHR066JTR59Z45?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I like this one.
You might also want to look into yoga for people who are recovering. Also, neck stretches work for me to help me get comfy at night. I search for tension headache stretches on YouTube and try different techniques from different folks.
Good luck!
So I've tried a million different pillows ot feels like. Expensive not expensive. The best one I have so far is less than $30
Dream Rite Shredded Hypoallergenic Memory Foam Pillow WonderSleep Series Luxury Adjustable Loft Home Pillow Hotel Collection Grade Washable Removable Cooling Bamboo Derived Rayon Cover- Queen 1 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075QN5V5H/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_dl_PW5W9G5G6DJ49529P2SJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075QN5V5H/
This is what I got. It really helps with the loud motorcycle troupes that motor past my house and make the windows rattle. It smells for a few days due to offgassing or whatever, and the pillowcase it comes with falls apart after a few weeks, but otherwise it's definitely worth it. You might have to mix the insides around a bit every few weeks to keep it poofy, but it's definitely worth it!
Depending on the severity, you may need physical therapy, but in general there are a few things I did to resolve my neck pain issues:
Pillow. For years I was using a memory foam pillow that was actually too high for my neck. In my experience, the height of the pillow is more important than the material and shape. I switched to using a different pillow and adjusted the amount of foam inside of it so that my spine is perfectly straight with my head/neck. This was by far the #1 factor in fixing my neck pain issues. In case you're curious here's the pillow I ended up buying link. If you wake up with neck pain like I did then this is probably the biggest reason.
Chair + sitting posture. This one's pretty obvious, you want a good chair that doesn't make you want to adjust your position frequently. I bought one with a headrest that makes it a lot easier for me to have proper posture for long periods of time. It's some cheap generic brand off amazon that I like better than the Herman Miller chairs at work. Ideally you can comfortably sit with your torso at a 100 degree angle from your legs, with your head supported by a headrest. edit: also having a nice footrest can help keep your posture static for longer.
Exercise. A lot of my neck pain seemed tied to shoulder pain. Exercising that area helped get rid of some of that.
If all that stuff doesn't help, it's probably bad enough you need physical therapy.
I really love my shredded memory foam one like this. It has helped so much!
I really like my shredded memory foam one like this one but I know other people swear by those orthopedic pillows with the contour for your neck
WonderSleep Dream Rite Shredded Hypoallergenic Memory Foam Pillow
This pillow is the one I currently use. I am a side sleeper. When my TMJ pain was really bad I slept on a wedge pillow on my back, yet I think it made my jaw worse because my bite felt more off in mornings.
You can adjust the foam on the inside which I find helpful for your own preference. My TMJ disorder w displaced discs still causes joint pain at night when I lay down on pillow many times, but I find it lessened the pain with this pillow and I have been sleeping better since buying it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075QN5V5H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1