Diastasis Recti is the thinning of the linea alba, which is the connective tissue that runs down the middle of your rectus abdominis muscle (more commonly known as the “6-pack abs.”) This often occurs as a result of pregnancy, but can also occur in women and men due to inefficient breathing, posture, and muscle firing.
This tissue is similar to plastic food wrap. Thinning of the linea alba can occur above the belly button, below the belly, button, around the belly button, or along the entire length from the ribs to the pubic bone.
Diastasis recti is a normal result of pregnancy. A 2015 study showed that 100% of women have a diastasis at their due date, and 39% of them still have one 6 months postpartum. Many women continue to have a diastasis several years later because they were never taught the proper strategies to help heal it!
Before we dive any further, let's perform a screening to see if you have a diastasis. Check out this video by one of my mentors, Dr. Sarah Duvall, on how to check on your own abdomen. If you think you have a diastasis, don't worry! This is something that can be greatly improved by working on posture, breathing, and core strength.
A diastasis often causes what we call "doming" or "coning" in your abs. The right side of this image is an example of what that looks like.
The bulging appearance is a result of pressure in your system coming from the inside out. Picture a balloon. As air fills the balloon, the rubber expands 360 degrees to allow even pressure in all directions. As the balloon deflates, there is a natural recoil inward. Because of this even distribution of internal pressure, the balloon can inflate and deflate without issue
Alternatively, if we were to take the balloon and restrict the back half from expanding, all the pressure will go into the front. The pressure will always travel to the path of least resistance. Over time, that rubber in the front is going to become much thinner, weaker, and likely unable to handle the same amount of air.
In this situation, the pressure would be going into the thinned out tissue of the linea alba. If we are constantly allowing that pressure to travel into the front and cause doming, the diastasis will have a very difficult time healing.
This can often become more pronounced with exercises that cause increased pressure in your system, such as crunches or front planks.
So, what can we do? First, I recommend seeking out a local pelvic health physical therapist to get an official assessment. Pelvic PT can help SO much!
Next, we are going to focus on managing pressure in your abs. If we continue to have too much pressure on the linea alba, symptoms will likely continue and prevent the tissue from healing. We will focus on breathing, deep core exercises, posture, and mid-back mobility. Here is one of my favorite breathing exercises you can try!
Additionally, I recommend avoiding exercises that cause doming or coning. Common exercises that cause doming with diastasis recti are crunches, sit-ups, front planks, and push-ups. If these exercises do not cause you to have doming, great! If they do cause doming, you will want to hold off on them until you can better manage your pressure.
If you are ready to get started on the journey to a stronger core, check out my online 4-week program Core Essentials. In just 15 minutes x 3 days a week you will see improvements! Email me at rachel@mamabefit.com if you have any questions.
For further information on diastasis recti, please check out this awesome article by Dr. Anna Hammond, DPT, OCS, CSCS.
Sources:
Fernandes da Mota, Patrícia Gonçalves et al. “Prevalence and risk factors of diastasis recti abdominis from late pregnancy to 6 months postpartum, and relationship with lumbo-pelvic pain.” Manual therapy vol. 20,1 (2015): 200-5. doi:10.1016/j.math.2014.09.002
Hammond, Dr. Anna. “How to Check for Diastasis Recti.” Core Exercise Solutions, 22 Aug. 2022, https://www.coreexercisesolutions.com/how-to-check-for-diastasis-recti/.
