Diastasis What?!

If you’re currently pregnant or recently had a baby, you’ve probably noticed a few changes to your body. (Understatement of the century!) One of these changes is likely a difference in your abdominal muscles: how they look or feel or function.

In order to make room for a growing bun in the oven, something’s gotta give! That something is the abdominal muscles, which gradually stretch as baby gets bigger. For some women, this can lead to a condition called diastasis recti (DR), a greater than normal separation between the two sides of your rectus abdominis muscle.

Your rectus abdominis is the “six-pack” muscle that runs vertically down the front of your abdomen. We tend to think of it as one big ol’ muscle, but actually it’s a pair of muscles that are connected along the midline by a tendon-like tissue called the linea alba. If there is too much strain on the linea alba and an unusual separation develops between the abs (ie. DR), the muscles can no longer function properly to do all of the wonderful things we take for granted, like sitting up in bed, carrying too many grocery bags, or holding in our tummies!

But why?!

It’s easy to point the finger solely at the baby bump; however the stretching of the tummy as baby grows from poppyseed to watermelon is only part of the equation. Diastasis recti develops when the balance of ALL the forces exerted on the abdominal muscles and the linea alba exceed the tolerance (ie. the strength) of the tissues.

Our postures, positions, breathing patterns, movements or lack of movement all create forces on our abdomen …and just like the Force, they have the potential for good or evil! These forces we unwittingly create on our tummies throughout the day can either contribute to the strain on our tissues OR we can harness them to improve the strength and resilience of our abdominals.

What can I do?!

If you have (or suspect you have) developed diastasis recti, don’t panic! Whether you developed diastasis recti months, years or decades ago, it can be resolved and optimal abdominal function can be restored.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Since there are many different factors that may be contributing to your diastasis recti, corrective exercises should be targeted to your body’s needs. It can be very beneficial to work with an instructor or therapist (like a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist… wink, wink) with specialized training in this area.

Whether you’ve already developed diastasis recti or you’re trying to prevent it, here are a few first steps you can take towards restoring and maintaining a healthy, happy tummy:

Posture: Take stock of your body parts and try to make sure they’re “stacked up” so that your feet, pelvis, shoulders and head all form a nice vertical line. Especially if you have a growing baby bump or you’re carrying around a little one, avoid shifting your pelvis forward and leaning back to counterbalance the weight. Finally, resist the temptation to stick out your chest. Instead, relax and drop your ribcage, tucking your lower ribs in rather than sticking them out.

Breathing: Did you relax your ribcage? Once you’ve done that, breathe slowly and deeply into the lower ribs, the belly and even the back. Avoid lifting the shoulders and ribcage as you breathe, and try instead to feel the ribs expanding out in all directions, front, back and sides. This breathing pattern will help to decrease tension on the abdominals.

Get Moving: Move your body often and in lots of different ways: bending, reaching, twisting, walking, taking the stairs, lifting your arms and legs, getting down to the floor and hopefully back up again! A healthy variety of movement will engage the abdominal muscles in many different ways, keeping them strong and resilient. Some ideas: walking, gentle stretching, pre/postnatal yoga, swimming, or light aquafit.  

If you’ve been given any activity restrictions, be sure to stay within those limits as well as your own body’s comfort zone!

Here is a registry where you can find Pelvic Health Physiotherapists in Ontario:

http://pelvichealthsolutions.ca/find-a-health-care-professional/ontario-physiotherapists/

Dr. Jessica and Jillian during their Wellness Wednesday interview

For more information or to book an initial physiotherapy or initial pelvic floor physiotherapy appointment with Jillian please visit http://thecoachhousetc.ca/ or call (519) 707 -0599

Thanks for reading.