Diastasis Recti (DR) is a common problem many women deal with postpartum. During pregnancy your rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles) are actually supposed to separate to allow more space for your bundle of joy to grow. Many women often need help postpartum to assist with decreasing the large gap in the abdominals.
Let’s review the anatomy of the rectus abdominis first! This muscle attaches at the front part of the ribcage and extends down to your pubic bone. The linea alba is a band of connective tissue that divides the left and right rectus abdominis. During pregnancy, the separation of the abdominals occurs at the linea alba.
DR can affect more than just the physical appearance. Although the rectus abdominis does not provide much core support, it does have other big jobs. The three main jobs of the rectus abdominis includes: trunk flexion, assists in expiration and compresses abdominal viscera. Compression of the abdominal viscera (organs) is important and helps your gut work more efficiently. Proper breathing is extremely important to healing DR as well.
If your DR isn’t improving, there could be many reasons contributing. Some of the reasons include: poor diaphragmatic breathing, pelvic floor tightness or weakness, improper core activation, scar tissue, restrictions in the underlying organs, fascial restrictions in the lumbar spine, and many more! The list goes on and sometimes you need help from an expert to help with targeting YOUR specific areas of dysfunction. Our experts at Restorative Physical Therapy are here to help!