Do I have shingles or a viral infection?

I am 44 yrs. old and I periodically get a cluster of painful bumps on the side of my neck. Along with these bumps, I experience a malaise, pain in my shoulders and neck and lower back ( the pain goes more than "skin deep) and a slight fever. This syndrome lasts a few days. I noticed that as the bumps begin to disappear, the malaise, stiff neck and fever subside.
Could this be viral? Could this be a form of herpes? What the heck is it??

I don't know what it is, but it doesn't sound like shingles. Both my mom and my grandpa had them, and they were really, really painful. They were sort of red and scaly and lasted a long time, too.

I suggest you see a doctor. The sooner you go and get it diagnosed properly, the sooner you will get relief.

I had shingles when I was 44, and it was excruciating. By the time the blisters were on top of my skin, I could barely stand to wear clothes. Shingles are caused by the herpes zoster virus and once you have chicken pox, the virus remains in the body for life. Stress will cause it to flair into shingles. They last for a long time, unless you see a doctor within the first week for treatment.

Shingles is a viral infection and it is also a form of herpes so is chicken pox. With shingles there is some back pain, which is caused by nerve damage from the infection, go see your doctor at once because it is contagious.