Diastasis recti is a condition in which the most superficial abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis) separate along the midline of the body. The left and right sides of the abdominals separate and the connective tissue along the midline stretches and becomes weaker. It most commonly occurs during pregnancy or childbirth, but many people, including some men, have diastasis recti and just don’t know it! It has been said that even the founder of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, had a diastasis!
In addition to the abdominal “dog” appearance that can accompany a diastasis, there may also be functional deficits. These muscles are designed to help support your back and organs, and if they’re no longer in the proper location and holding proper tension, they fail in these important functions. Pelvic pain, incontinence, back pain, and poor joint mechanics can all occur when someone has a diastasis. The goal is to bring the muscles back toward the midline, so they can start doing their job again and the connective tissue no longer has to work overtime to provide that support in your absence.
The main cause of a diastasis is continuous stretching or overuse of the rectus abdominis muscles. Pregnancy or carrying a lot of excess weight in the abdomen is the main cause of stretching of these muscles. Oddly enough, overtraining this set of muscles (overuse) in the quest for a better looking abs can actually cause a diastasis, which allows for an abdominal bulge, which makes the abs look tighter. “bulging”. Many fitness enthusiasts create that vicious cycle because there is a strong popular focus on sit-ups, bikes, jackknives, and similar exercises that contract the rectus abdominis almost to the exclusion of the transversus abdominis (the deepest, most stabilizing layer of the core). By striking a balance between training the front of the abdominals as well as the deeper layers of core support (deep lower back muscles, transverse abdominals, diaphragm, and pelvic floor muscles), we can prevent diastasis from occurring. . And once a diastasis occurs, shifting the focus from traditional abdominal exercises to more comprehensive core strengthening can help lessen the severity of the condition and also increase core stability and function.
Treatment of diastasis recti
***Exercises to perform:
Transverse abdominal strengtheners (heel slides, modified dead bugs, core contractions/presses)
Glute exercises (glute bridges, squats, single leg deadlifts, squats)
Pelvic floor exercise (kegels with transverse abdominal contraction)
Diaphragm exercises (deep breathing, relaxation on inhalation, pulling navel toward spine on exhalation)
***Exercises to avoid:
Forward bend (crunches, bikes, rollups and rolldowns, jackknives, boat position)
Forward loaded exercises (front plank, full push-ups, bird-dog, burpees)
Extreme Extension (abs on exercise ball, upward facing dog)
Auxiliary Care for the Cure of Diastasis Recti
It is important that the pelvis is properly aligned and balanced as you work to heal a diastasis. If your pelvic joints are restricted or misaligned, it will be more difficult to maintain proper core stabilization during challenging exercises and everyday activities. Likewise, if the muscles that attach to the pelvis or core are too tight, that can cause a pull on the bony structure of the pelvis and skeleton, resulting in pain, stiffness, and lack of function. One of the main culprits in a whole cascade of dysfunction is the psoas muscle. Chiropractic adjustments and active release techniques (ART) can help restore proper pelvic alignment and muscle balance.
