Healing Diastasis Recti Abdominus
When beginning the “diastasis recti” rehabilitation process, I prefer to start outside of the abdomen itself in order to set up our “core” and Linea alba for success in the postpartum period. In this blog post I’d like to talk about 3 “unconventional” ways to help heal your diastasis recti whether you have just given birth, or you are years postpartum and still struggling to re-connect to your core.
If you have attended any of my previous webinars visited my website or my social media accounts, you may know already that I like to approach rehabilitation in the pregnant or post partum body a little differently than you may have seen or heard before.
Quickly before we get into these unconventional ways to approach treating diastasis recti abdominus, lets talk about what it is:
There is NO consensus in the literature on the diagnostic criteria of diastasis recti. Some studies have suggested that the distance between the rectus abdominus (IRD) should be less than 1.5 cm at the xyphoid, less than 2.2cm 3 cm above the umbilicus (belly button) and less than 1.6 cm below the belly button.
How we measure the distance between these muscle bellies varies in it’s accuracy with the “gold standard” being real time ultrasound.
The “curl up” method of assessing for the distance between rectus bellies (IRD) is often done in clinic and can be done at home. HOWEVER, this is not all the information you need about your diastasis recti! I could talk about this for HOURS.
Our Linea Alba is the union point of 4 layers of muscles, not JUST out Rectus Abdominus or “six pack” They start at various points on our ribcage and attach down to the pelvic and around our sides and back connecting in the midline at the Linea alba
1. Gut Check
Many women with DRA report that they feel “more bloated” and that their stomach protrudes more since having children. Often times we blame the Diastasis Recti for the bloating and distention. Yes, it is true that if the linea alba and the abdominal wall have less density, then pressure from our abdomen can press out more and the visual bloat is greater. HOWEVER, it’s my perspective that it’s not the abdominal walls “fault” but the bloating and digestive issues can create a chronic state of elevated abdominal pressure are actually making it difficult for the abdomen to heal.
Managing the abdominal bloating, constipation and digestive issues FIRST can be a HUGE factor for helping the bellies of the rectus abdominus come together. Visceral mobilization can also be an incredible modality to improving both gut health and core function.
2. It’s all in the “Angles”
Many women with DRA report that they feel “more bloated” and that their stomach protrudes more since having children. Often times we blame the Diastasis Recti for the bloating and distention. Yes, it is true that if the linea alba and the abdominal wall have less density, then pressure from our abdomen can press out more and the visual bloat is greater. HOWEVER, it’s my perspective that it’s not the abdominal walls “fault” but the bloating and digestive issues can create a chronic state of elevated abdominal pressure are actually making it difficult for the abdomen to heal.
Managing the abdominal bloating, constipation and digestive issues FIRST can be a HUGE factor for helping the bellies of the rectus abdominus come together. Visceral mobilization can also be an incredible modality to improving both gut health and core function.
3. Release Your Back
We often put so much of our attention on our “Core Muscles” but what if another area is so tense and tight it’s making it difficult or impossible for your abs to actually “contract” – We blame a “weak core” when in actuality you just have a really “stong” or over-active back that likes to take over! In pregnancy this is a normal pattern that develops as your center of gravity shifts and the uterus grows, but post partum this tendency to really overuse our back and grip our glutes often remains making it difficult to properly support and secure our abdominals and heal.
Learn more about diastasis recti in our upcoming webinars with our pelvic floor physical therapists!
If you are a fitness professional, our pre/postnatal fitness trainers course includes guest lectures from our pelvic floor physical therapists on how to approach training clients with common pre/postnatal issues, such as diastasis, prolapse, and more!