In my case I lived with it for about 3 years before I decided on surgery. I have pain in the back of my neck and also the left side which radiates down my left shoulder but not all the way down my arm. Surgery has not helped at all, but actually made it worse.
I had tried everything before surgery including, 6 Steroidal shots (They normally do it in sets of 3 and I tried it twice by two different doctors). I also have tried Chiropractics, Physical Therapy, many medications, and other nontraditional  procedures such as IMS and Botox injections.

Causes:

Overuse of the muscles can cause problems. If you just stay in a certain position to long can do it.
Little things like driving for a long period or reading but not being carful of the position that you are in could strain your neck.
All joints can become worn with age and wear and tear.

If my case it was disk problems. Unfortunately, as we get older the cushioning disks between the vertebrae become dry and stiff which narrow the spaces in the spinal column where the nerves come out.The disks in your neck also can be herniated, this was my problem. This means the inner gelatinous cartilage material of a disk protrudes through the disk's tougher cartilage covering. Neck pain may occur or nearby nerves can be irritated. Other tissues and bony growths (spurs) also can press on your nerves as they exit your spinal cord, causing pain.

Whiplash injuries often caused by car accidents, which occur when the head is jerked forward and back, stretching the soft tissues of the neck beyond their limits.

Screening and diagnosis:

Your doctor often will be able to diagnose the cause of your neck pain and recommend treatment just by asking questions about the type, location and onset of your pain.

In less clear-cut cases, your doctor may use imaging techniques or other tests such as:

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
X-rays
Computerized tomography (CT) scans
Electromyography (EMG)Treatments:

Treatments:

Self Care:

Over the counter pain relievers.
Try heat and cold.
Stretching side to side and in as many directions as possible.

For pain that does not get any better after all your efforts:

Physical Therapy can help. The therapist will help you with exercises, stretches and traction.
Injections, which include corticosteroid medications near the nerve roots, near the small neck joints or into the muscles in your neck. I had 6 of these with no luck.

Pain medications:
I was on Tramadol, 2 pills a day would help before my surgery.
Now I take 30-60 milligrams of Percocet and Oxycotin. These are serious narcotics and should be your last resort. But when you are in so much pain take what you need for relief with your doctor’s advice.
Surgery of course is your last resort and doctors shouldn’t do it unless all other options have been tried. Many people do get relief, I was just one of the unlucky ones.