What Causes Diastasis Recti?
The separation of the abdominal muscles occurs when the left and right abdominal muscles are pushed to the sides and don't return to place when needed, the space between the left and right belly muscles widens and stays that way. This happens most often during pregnancy, but men who do heavy lifting or intense workouts and newborn babies can experience it too.
Diastasis recti is easily identified through a physical examination, and it's a condition that can be ignored or treated and corrected. Beyond the aesthetic reasons people seek treatment, there are also emotional, mental, and physical factors to consider.
The Risks of Leaving It Untreated
Left untreated in adults, diastasis recti can lead to lower back pain, poor posture, hernia, constipation, and weakened pelvic alignment. In infants, it usually occurs when the baby is born premature, and if it isn't addressed, it can lead to complications such as an umbilical hernia, which worsens if accompanied by pain or vomiting.
Posture and Exercise
Treatment of diastasis recti involves time for healing and strengthening the abdominal muscles. Observing good posture, sitting up straight, not slouching, standing with the back straight, and walking properly, helps guide the abdominal muscles to slide back into place, and the same care should extend to lifting or picking things up.
Specific exercises are also formulated to help treat diastasis recti, but a medical note clearing the person for correction and treatment is necessary first. From there, an evaluation with a physical therapist, physiotherapist, or, for women who have just given birth, a postpartum fitness specialist is required. Recommended exercises for strengthening the abdominal muscles include pelvic floor and deep muscle work, which can be done at home or with the guidance of a therapist or specialist.
Surgery as a Last Resort
In some cases, proper posture or a specialized exercise program doesn't fully correct diastasis recti. When the bulge or pouch interferes with daily activities, causes pain or difficulty sitting or walking, or persists for aesthetic reasons despite exercise and posture correction, people may consider surgery, also called abdominoplasty.
Surgery is the last option and isn't typically the first recommendation, it's costly and recovery takes longer. During the procedure, the abdominal muscles are surgically stitched together, closing the gap and eliminating the bulge.
A Common, Treatable Condition
Diastasis recti is a normal occurrence common among people who lift heavy weights, work out, or are pregnant, as well as among infants born prematurely. Sometimes the abdominal muscles return to their usual position on their own; often there are ways to correct and treat the condition to avoid it worsening into constipation, pelvic floor weakening, bloating, or hernia.
With a proper physical examination and a guided program of exercises and therapy, diastasis recti can be corrected and treated. If you have diastasis recti and need help, our physical therapists can walk you through an evaluation and a personalized plan.