Hello, Very likely your symptoms are related to a pulled muscle in the neck especially if you notice the discomfort to be worse on certain neck movements or if you feel in the area with your hand or while swallowing. Stroke would be expected to cause more stable symptoms and not ones that come and go so it is a less likely diagnosis. If you notice difficulty with swallowing or any neurological signs (weakness or numbness, difficulty with the speech or vision) you will need to talk with your doctor. You can take some paracetamol to help with the discomfort. If you feel the discomfort deep in the neck and also have some heartburn the stomach might be the cause and some omeprazole might help. If no improvement in a few days with these or any worsening you will need to see your doctor. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Regards, Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General & Family Physician