Hey,
My 2nd spinal fusion surgery was for correcting my kyphosis, which had progressed to 60-something degrees. After sitting for more than half an hour, I'd get shooting, burning pain on the right side of my neck, because of all the pressure. I currently have a kyphotic curvature of about 43-45 degrees, which is within the normal range. My parents couldn't believe it when I sat up in bed the day after surgery and they could see that I finally sat up straight. My neck was so much more elongated and I actually grew about an inch taller!
I would say that one of the most important things to do is to concentrate on your posture and the way you position yourself while doing daily activities. You may find that one shoulder tends to scrunch up higher than another, or something else, which will ultimately cause muscle tension and pain. I think the most important thing is to strengthen your torso muscles. I know that for me, when I force myself to rely more on my abdominal muscles and sitting up straight instead of slouching in a chair, I don't get as much muscle tension.
After my surgery, of course, my pain has drastically diminished. I still, however, experience pain when I've been sitting for hours hunched over a textbook or even sitting at the computer for too long. Like Martin said in his post, strengthening exercises can be the ticket, which is something I need to invest more time in doing.
Hope that helps you!
-C
"If it is possible, it can be done. If it is impossible, it must be done."