Important Vitamins to Take for Shoulder and Neck Pain

Harvard Medical School estimates that seven out of 10 people may experience some type of neck pain in their lifetime. The shoulder and neck muscles may be the first places on your body to tighten and ache if you are under short- or long-term stress. Movement requiring the use of your arms or head has the potential to cause pain or injury. The good news is, most often pain can be relieved with self-help techniques.

Important Vitamins to Take for Shoulder and Neck Pain (Image: mangostock/iStock/Getty Images)

Vitamin B-5

Eggs are good sources of Vitamin B-5 (Image: Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, is called an anti-stress vitamin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Vitamin B-5 plays a part in the manufacturing of stress-related hormones. These hormones are produced in the adrenal glands that sit above your kidneys. Pantothenic acid is also necessary in making red blood cells and nerve functioning. Maintaining both of these systems may insure faster healing of sore neck and shoulder muscles. Adequate intake of vitamin B-5 is 5 milligrams daily. Food sources include chicken, eggs, avocado, mushrooms and sweet potato.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D works with calcium in your body to produce strong bones. (Image: Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images)

Poor posture due to bone deficiencies may be a cause of pain in the neck and shoulder region. The journal "Spine" states that vitamin D deficiency is a major cause of osteomalacia, a common metabolic condition affecting bone mineralization. Adequate supplementation of vitamin D in the diet appears to alleviate the condition, the study concludes. Vitamin D works with calcium in your body to produce strong bones; that may help correct posture and lessen the strain on aching shoulder and neck muscles. The recommended daily allowance, RDA, for vitamin D is between 600 and 800 international units per day. Food sources include salmon, sardines and fortified food products. Your body also synthesizes vitamin D from sunlight.

Vitamin C

Oranges are high in Vitamin C. (Image: Nick White/Photodisc/Getty Images)

Maintaining strong neck and shoulder muscles may help in preventing pain in that area. Vitamin C plays a role in synthesizing collagen, the framework for muscles, tendons and ligaments, notes the Linus Pauling Institute. It is also a component of blood vessels. A healthy supply of blood to your muscles will insure that waste products are carried away in a timely fashion, helping to prevent discomfort during muscle use. The RDA for vitamin C is 75 or 90 milligrams per day for women and men, respectively. Food sources include oranges, grapefruits, strawberries and sweet red peppers.