Yes, but mainly by getting you into a more aero position. Upright = wind resistance. Not sure about your neck pain but it did take time for me to strengthen my neck muscles when I first rode drop bars (and I'm going through it again as I've been off the bike for 3 months and have lost a lot of muscle strength). FWIW, I ordered a CX bike last weekend (Fuji Cross 2.0) to replace my commuter that was totaled in October. Looking forward to returning to commuting by bike and really looking forward to getting back into some kind of decent shape.