Hi Mark

Until Bryanna finds time to get back to you, I'll just jump in here to say that it's been my experience that the neck and even shoulder pain is most likely connected to an oral infection on the same side of the head. So in your case, if you've had this pain (tightness?) going down one particular line down your neck and maybe sometimes even into your shoulder, I believe it is directly related to some (maybe low grade) infection in either your RC tooth or even beyond it, in the bone around it.

I would definitely remove that tooth, but only by a good oral surgeon. The only problem is, how do you know who is good. He should definitely clean out the bone like Bryanna has explained so many times (to get to a healthy bleeding bone). If he doesn't do that, it is possible that the infection will stay regardless that the tooth is gone, only I think it could be even worse because it would be deep in the jaw bone and not only in the roots (tooth).

Hope you can all forgive me to be this blunt and jumping in, but I just wanted to share my experience in situations when I feel I've had the exact symptoms like you just described it. This particular pain can trick many that it is only muscular, but it is always wise to question that if you also have an infected (or RC-ed) tooth on the same side.