Are You One Of The Many Women Who Suffer From Diastasis Recti During Pregnancy?
It is no secret that pregnancy takes quite the toll on your body. Many changes occur as the human body creates new life, including weight gain, hormonal changes, and a shift in your center of gravity.
While not always normal, it is common for pregnant women to experience musculoskeletal aches and pains, as well as a condition known as diastasis recti.
If you have experienced this condition as a result of your pregnancy, contact Beyond Physical Therapy today. Physical therapy treatments can help repair and relieve your diastasis recti symptoms so you can get back to comfortably doing what matters most – preparing and caring for your new bundle of joy.
What is diastasis recti?
Diastasis Recti is a condition that happens during pregnancy and postpartum. It is when the muscles in the abdomen are separated by a gap wider than 2 finger-widths.
The condition can be caused by the growing uterus, which causes pressure on the abdomen and pelvis. And it can also be caused by too much abdominal pressure from heavy lifting, coughing, or sneezing. The condition can also happen to people who have had children before, but it may not show up until later in life because of changes in weight and muscle tone.
Diastasis recti is a common condition among pregnant women and new mothers because of changes in the body’s structure and function during pregnancy.
Your “rectus abdominis” muscles are stressed as your uterus expands throughout your pregnancy. This muscle is made up of two muscles that run parallel from the rib cage to the pubic bone and are joined in the middle by connective tissue.
Without specific muscle training and continued uterine expansion, these muscles may separate along the center seam, resulting in diastasis recti. Among the most common symptoms of this condition are:
- Noticeable bulge in the middle of the stomach
- Lower back pain
- Rib pain
- Constipation
- Urinary leakage
- Development of a hernia
How can I treat diastasis recti?
Diastasis recti is most commonly found later in a woman’s pregnancy or after childbirth. In fact, diastasis recti muscles can remain separated for up to a year after a woman gives birth. Therapeutic interventions can significantly shorten this time frame, allowing some women to heal in as little as a few weeks.
Some of the factors that can increase the likelihood of developing diastasis recti during or after pregnancy include:
- Being over the age of 35
- Being pregnant with multiple babies
- Having given birth in the past
- Giving birth to a baby with a high birth weight
- Sedentary lifestyle prior to pregnancy
- Fitness lifestyle that involves crunches, sit ups or v-sits
- Chronic slouched posture, rounded shoulders
We offer and excel in prenatal and postnatal physical therapy treatments for pregnancy-related conditions such as diastasis recti at Beyond Physical Therapy. During your initial appointment, one of our skilled and dedicated physical therapists will conduct a physical examination to determine the nature of your symptoms.
Prior to developing a treatment plan, your medical history and any health risks will be discussed and taken into account. Following your evaluation, our physical therapist will develop an individualized treatment plan for you, with the goal of reducing diastasis, relieving symptoms, training for delivery, and allowing for a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery.
To correct the symptoms of diastasis recti, condition-specific treatments will be designed by your physical therapist. Diastasis recti can impede abdominal muscle strengthening and cause the belly to “pooch.” Based on the severity of the condition and your individual needs, our highly trained physical therapists use their unique skills to identify and treat it.
Find relief today!
Treatment plans for prenatal and postnatal care frequently include stage-specific therapeutic exercises, stretches, and manual therapy. These modalities relieve pain, strengthen your core muscles, improve posture, and help you prepare or recover from childbirth.
If you still need pain relief, our physical therapists may also recommend additional methods and modalities, such as massage or ice and heat therapies.
If you have been diagnosed with diastasis recti or suspect you may be suffering from it, please contact Beyond Physical Therapy today to schedule an appointment with one of our skilled physical therapists. We’ll design the best treatment plan for your specific needs so you can care for both your baby and yourself!