Arginine, an amino acid found in meat and other animal products, and sometimes taken in supplement form, stimulates blood flow. Improved blood flow may alleviate some types of neck pain, but no published evidence supports this use of arginine. Arginine supplements can cause allergic reactions and other serious side effects, so talk to your doctor before taking arginine for any reason.
Arginine Uses
Arginine, an essential amino acid, helps your body build protein. Essential amino acids must be obtained through your diet – your body cannot make them. Food sources of arginine include beef, poultry and fish. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database ranks arginine supplements as “possibly effective” in treating erectile dysfunction, speeding recovery time after surgery, reducing bladder inflammation, relieving fluid build-up associated with congestive heart failure, alleviating leg cramps due to blocked arteries and building lean muscle mass in people with HIV or AIDS.
Neck Pain
Neck pain stems from assorted causes, including strains from working at a computer, a herniated disk, stretched or overused muscles and tendons, injury that creates spinal instability, poor posture, gall bladder disease, elbow injuries and narrowing of nerve openings around your spinal cord. If your neck pain includes inflammation, remedies that improve blood flow – aspirin and massage, for example – might help. Arginine improves circulation and is used to treat migraine headaches. It could theoretically treat some types of neck pain, but it could be unsafe to take without a doctor’s approval and supervision.
Precautions
Do not take arginine if you’ve recently suffered a heart attack – it could prove fatal, and article posted on the MedLinePlus website warns. If you have asthma, taking arginine could worsen your condition. Arginine may also cause an allergic reaction that includes swelling of your air passages. Do not take arginine if you have low blood pressure or take medication to relieve hypertension – it could lower your blood pressure to dangerous levels. Other side effects of taking arginine include diarrhea, gout, blood abnormalities, bloating and abdominal pain.
Considerations
Talk to your doctor about the best way to treat your neck pain. Seek immediate medical help if your neck pain also includes the inability to touch your chin to your chest, shooting pain that travels from your neck to your shoulder or arm, numbness or weakness in your arms, or a change in urination or bowel movement habits. Although most causes of neck pain are minor, MayoClinic.com says the pain could be a symptom of disease such as cancer, meningitis or rheumatoid arthritis.
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