Physical Therapy for Diastasis Recti

During pregnancy, the elasticity of your abdominal muscles enables them to stretch to accommodate your growing baby. However, the linea alba is made up mostly of collagen, which is less elastic than muscle. For many women, the linea alba thins during pregnancy and gradually tightens up again over several weeks postpartum. But in some instances, the linea alba is stretched to the point of separation, leaving an undesirable gap between the right and left sides of the RA.

Not only is diastasis recti cosmetically undesirable, giving you a postpartum tummy that will not go away, but it can interfere with the overall function of your abdominal canister, leading to a plethora of related issues.

• Pelvic pain
• Core instability
• Low back pain
• Urinary incontinence
• Constipation
• Sexual dysfunction
• Organ prolapse
• Poor posture

Reduced abdominal function from diastasis recti can restrict physical activity, which can be devastating for athletic women who want to remain active.

Pregnancy is the primary cause of diastasis recti, but certain other factors can contribute to its likelihood:

• Multiple birth pregnancy
• Short timespan between pregnancies
• Carrying a large birthweight baby
• Pregnancy at an older age
• Poor collagen quality
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity

Getting in shape before pregnancy, maintaining a healthy weight and practicing lifestyle behaviors that promote healthy collagen production can reduce your risk of diastasis recti.

In an effort to flatten a postpartum belly, many women begin an exercise program of challenging abdominal exercises like crunches and leg lifts, but those exercises can sometimes make the condition worse.

Other women try wrapping the abdomen to draw the RA together, hoping the collagen will repair itself, which is ineffective. In severe cases, some women even have cosmetic surgery to close the gap. However, cosmetic solutions do not restore full function to the abdominal canister, which is the real problem posed by diastasis recti. Diastasis recti physical therapy offers a conservative, non-invasive treatment solution.

The pelvic pain specialists at NYDNR use a targeted conservative approach to treating diastasis recti. Our therapy is individualized, taking into account the specific needs of each patient.

• Physical therapy for diastasis recti
• DNS (dynamic neuromuscular stabilization)
• ISM (integrated system model)
• Postural training
• Breathing therapy
• Deep core muscle training
• Other therapies geared toward restoring optimal abdominal and pelvic function

You do not have to live with a diastasis recti that keeps you from living a healthy active lifestyle. At NYDNR, we combine innovative therapies with state-of-the-art technology to restore your abdominal function and integrity, so you can enjoy the very best quality of life.