Muscle Tears & Fish Oil

Muscle tears, more commonly known as muscle strains, occur when some or all of the fibers in one or more of your muscles break. Muscle strains may be chronic or acute and that chronic strains are often caused by repetitive muscle overuse while acute strains are usually caused by excessive forces on your muscles. Before using fish oil to help heal your muscle tears, speak with your primary care provider.

Muscle Tears

Muscle tears and ligament tears are commonly confused. Both injuries may cause pain in your affected area, swelling, tenderness and bruising, although ligament tears, or sprains, are usually a more serious injury, notes the Nemours Foundation's Kids Health website. Muscle tears heal more quickly than ligament injuries because muscles receive more blood -- and therefore more nutrients -- than ligaments. Muscle tears range in severity from mild injuries involving damage to only a few muscle fibers to injuries involving a complete tear of all of your muscles fibers.

Fish Oil

Fish oil is a commonly used dietary supplement that helps support your overall health and encourages healing. Fish oil supplements, notes National Institutes of Health online medical encyclopedia Medline Plus, are often made from salmon, cod, herring, tuna, halibut or mackerel and provide a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Fish oil supplements have long been used for medicinal purposes, although this supplement may not be appropriate for everybody. People who have diabetes may develop high blood cholesterol levels when using fish oil supplements.

Fish Oil Uses

Fish oil supplements may be a helpful adjunct therapy in the treatment of your muscle tears. According to certified nutritional consultant Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," essential fatty acids -- such as those found in fish oil supplements -- have historically been used in treating strains and sprains, to encourage optimal cellular health and function and to help speed your recovery from injury. More clinical research trials using this supplement for this health purpose may be needed to help determine its efficacy.

Considerations

Most muscle tears are mild and resolve on their own, although some strains may require the assistance of a medical professional or surgeon to correct. Visit your physician to better understand the extent of your musculoskeletal injury and how complementary alternative therapies -- including dietary supplements -- can address your injury. Your doctor can counsel you on the advantages, disadvantages, limitations and potential drug interactions associated with dietary supplements. Avoid using supplements for this health purpose in lieu of other therapies suggested by your physician.