Bridging the Gap on Diastasis Recti
Have you ever heard of Diastasis Recti? We are finding more and more women who have never heard of this condition however they are experiencing symptoms related to having Diastasis Recti.
Maybe you have been told you have Diastasis Recti and your medical provider told you ALL THE THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T DO!! Why does that happen in healthcare? Why are we always told what we can’t do instead of focusing on what we CAN do to help with a certain condition? That’s a topic for another day…
I am here today to talk to you about Diastasis Recti and the things you CAN do to alleviate symptoms that might be caused by your Diastasis Recti as well as help you to bridge the gap in your abdomen.
Let’s start with a little background info…
Diastasis means separation and recti refers to the rectus abdominis muscle (also known at the 6 pack muscle of your abs).
Typically the abdominal muscles are connected but with Diastasis Recti, the abdominal walls separate at the midline below or above the belly button.
This separation commonly occurs with consecutive pregnancies or pregnancy with multiples. The growing uterus stretches the abdominal muscles to make room for the growing baby.
We’ve said it before and we will say it again, just because something commonly occurs in women during pregnancy, does not mean it’s normal. This is true for Diastasis Recti.
Symptoms of Diastasis Recti can be tricky because often times women don’t notice the separation as much as they notice that they are having back pain, or pelvic pain. We often hear women say they didn’t know they had Diastasis Recti because after having their baby, they always had a pooch or bulge in their abdomen that never “bounced” back to normal.
That pooch or bulge you are experiencing may be Diastasis Recti. The most frustrating thing is that often times your health care provider doesn’t even address the separation or chalks it up to “normal after pregnancy”.
A simple self test can give you a good indication whether or not you have a separation of your abdominal wall. Take a look at the video link on how to perform the self test.
Self Test for Diastasis Recti (video)
If you perform that test and notice a gap that is more than 2 fingers width apart, you might have Diastasis Recti. If you aren’t comfortable performing the test- come on in to Shift Physical Therapy and Wellness and we can help you.
Alright, back to it then-often times women with Diastasis Recti are afraid to get in to a good core exercise routine for fear of making things worse. Who can blame us when we are told all the things we CAN’T DO but the truth is, there are phenomenal and very helpful exercises that we CAN DO to help bridge the gap.
We share 5 of our favorite DR exercises on our Facebook page.
Performing the right exercises can help alleviate back pain, pelvic pain and improve that dreaded pooch. At Shift Physical Therapy and Wellness, we can help to develop a plan that will help you reach your goals!
Personal Story:
My name is Jackie. The writer of this blog. A Physical Therapist Assistant. Co-Owner of Shift Physical Therapy and Wellness and a mom to 3 beautiful littles- James (9), Emma (7), and Molly (almost 5).
I feel very blessed to say that my pregnancies and labor experiences were pretty phenomenal. There were no complications with the labor and delivery of my 3 children. I was able to deliver all 3 of my babies with no medications, or epidurals. I did not experience hours of pushing with any of my children and all children weighed in the 7lb range.
I am not telling you my pregnancy or labor story to brag by any means. Any woman, no matter how you bring your child in to the world is amazing! The reason I am telling you my pregnancy and labor story is because even though I had wonderful pregnancies and deliveries does not mean my body didn’t go through very significant changes and stressors.
Fast forward to a few months after the birth of my 3rd child. Something was off with my body that I didn’t experience with my first 2 postpartum journeys. Truthfully, I had no idea that I even had Diastasis Recti until I started getting back in to an exercise routine. I was definitely one of those people that thought my mom pooch was just that… a pooch that would always be there because I had 3 kids and that was the price my body had to pay. It wasn’t until I took an interest in women’s health physical therapy that I learned more about Diastasis Recti. I was upset that none of my doctors ever talked to me about Diastasis. Not a single word throughout any of my pregnancies was said.
When I discovered my Diastasis Recti, I was bummed. I felt like there was no way I would have a “normal” looking stomach. I was also scared because everything I was seeing online was telling me what not to do. “Don’t do a sit up”. “Don’t lift heavy weights.” “Don’t, Don’t, Don’t.” Even as a Physical Therapist Assistant I was scared to get back to a core/abdominal strengthening routine. Am I going to make things worse? Certainly the internet was not helping me. There is so much information out there and it becomes contradicting. What do I believe? What is going to work for me?
Luckily I was able to use the resources around me in physical therapy and talk to experts about my concerns. I was able to get myself started on a safe core routine that improved my Diastasis Recti and my confidence.
I’m here to help. I want to let you know that there is hope and that you can reach your goals! If it’s abs you want, let’s get after it! If you’ve experienced ongoing back pain but no one has even checked for Diastasis Recti- Let’s do it! Let’s work to bridge the gap not only in your abdomen but also start bridging the gap from where you are in your wellness journey to where you want to be.
Written by: Jackie Giese, Physical Therapist Assistant
