Have you found that your core strength isn’t quite what it used to be? Despite targeted exercises, many people particularly after childbirth, find that their abdominal muscles just don’t function as they used to. Although age and other factors – weaken muscles, sudden and dramatic changes can suggest something more serious: diastasis recti, a condition that can be treated with diastasis recti, such as abdominoplasty.
What are diastasis recti?
Your core muscles are vital to how your body operates, from your stance to your breathing. These muscles include:
- The diaphragm
- The abdominal muscles
- The back muscles
- The pelvic floor
Any harm or improvement to these muscles can have a major effect on your overall health. Internal abdominal pressure usually due to pregnancy can cause the muscles of the rectus abdominal to spread apart. In addition, pregnancy hormones trigger connective tissues to loosen, making the separation more pronounced. This disorder is called diastasis recti, which does not always resolve on its own or by exercise.
How to tell if you have diastasis recti?
You are at risk of developing diastasis recti if you are or have been pregnant, die, or sometimes perform abdominal exercises with a dubious technique. If you fall into one of these groups and you’re asking, “Do I have diastasis recti? ” you need to take action to find out. It’s best to talk to your doctor about this, but you can also check at home. Here are five self-tests for diastasis recti:
- Lay down on your back on a hard surface. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Place one hand behind your head for support and take a deep breath. Then exhale as you raise your head and shoulders off the floor.
- During this lift, contract your rectal abdomen—think of bringing your rib cage closer to your hips, not just raising your head.
- Place your fingers horizontally across the navel when maintaining the contraction. Feel above, over, and under the belly button. Using your fingertips, measure the distance between your muscles.
- If you find that the gap is more than 2 cm, or about 2.5 fingers, in width, you most likely have diastasis recti.
Diastasis Recti Treatments
If you test at home and find that you have diastasis recti, don’t panic, there are treatment options that can help. Your doctor may recommend that you wait, depending on your situation. This is particularly valid if you are either pregnant or postpartum, as there is a risk that the condition will be corrected on its own. If it is clear that the disorder is not reversible, you may need care. The first step to correct diastasis recti is to perform targeted exercises to help get the muscles back together. If this fails to fix the problem, your doctor will possibly prescribe surgery, normally diastasis recti surgery. Many women prefer to have a tummy tuck to treat their separate muscles, as this treatment may address other related issues. In addition to muscle rehabilitation, you will have the ability to remove excess skin and fat, contour the body and resolve any cosmetic issues that you might have. After a healing time of around 6 weeks, you should find yourself looking and feeling a lot better.
