Hello, Due to improper posture you had probably got a spasm of your neck muscles and probably it was more on the right side. You had done the right thing by doing neck exercises. However, in such cases taking paracetamol and hot compress can also be relieving. The ear infection is probably unrelated. Rather than an ear infection, it seems to me that you could be having a sore throat. There is a tube that connects between the middle ear cavity and the throat and it is likely that the problem thas thereby involved your ear(s). Gurgling with lukewarm water should provide relief. The open-heart surgery that you had in your childhood probably directly concerns us in such a case but I would suggest you cut down on your smoking if possible. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Regards, Dr Iven Romic Rommstein, General Surgeon