What's it like to use a "contoured" or "cervical" pillow?

I have one (a Tempur one) and I find it really uncomfortable.

Very sorry to hear of your pain. Well done you for making it known.
There is so much that you can do. My own experience of neck and shoulder pain has at times, been severe. Although I have overcome it, by design.
A couple of tips that I would offer are, Magnesium Chloride and Exercise Therapy (for arthritis). Just a click away. Wonderful, isn’t it?

I cannot vouch for the ones at Target, but I do believe the right pillow can help.

I have a great cervical pillow for neck & shoulder pain (trigger point pain and bursitis) that I bought through my chiropractor. It is made by Foot Levelers and has made a huge difference in my comfort at night. I either have the Pill-Pedi or the Ultra, I’m not sure.

I hope you find something that works.

I have bought and tossed lots of contoured pillows. Experiment with rolled towels for a while to see what configuration might afford you some relief. I now use a medium-firm fake down pillow. I fold and bend it into different shapes during the course of the night.

Lying on Milo is good for my neck, I find, but exacerbates HIS arthritis.

When I do floor yoga, I use the folded towel in the small of my back because I can adjust the height and firmness.

@lloydbird, what do you do with the magnesium chloride?

@Jeruba Use it transdermally in spray form.

On your neck? I looked it up and saw that you could ingest it too. I wasn’t clear on the benefits.

I am lead to believe that it can be sprayed pretty much anywhere on the epidermis. If you are unclear on the benefits, then I hope that some further exploration will prove to be of use.
You could also look into the effects of insufficient hydration on the body with regard to arthritis as well as the possible benefits that you might derive from linseed oil.
I wish you good luck with it.