Diastasis recti is a condition that occurs when the separation of the two sides of the diaphragm (a muscle in the chest) is too great. This can cause difficulty breathing and lead to decreased lung function. If left untreated, it can lead to increased stress and anxiety and an increased risk of developing heart disease, cancer, and other health problems. Here are some signs that you may have diastasis recti, keep reading to learn more.
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video interview.
Who is Dr. Sarah Duvall?
Dr. Sarah Duvall is a sports medicine practitioner and physical therapist focusing on women’s health. Becoming a mom opened her eyes to what women need postpartum to repair their pelvic floors and get their abs back. And so this has been her passion for the last few years, in figuring out the best way she can help them!
The Biggest Health Concern Women have After Giving Birth.
After giving birth, women are more likely to have health concerns. Here are the top two health concerns that women face after giving birth.
Abdominal Separation
Some women experience abdominal separation during and after childbirth. This condition is known as ‘diastasis recti’ or ‘recti divarication.’ It happens when the two long, parallel muscles of your stomach separate from each other. The problem isn’t that these muscles have separated; they’ve done so too quickly (and in a way that can be difficult to correct).
Abdominal separation is partly due to the pressure of your growing baby and partly due to hormonal changes during pregnancy. It usually starts in the second half of pregnancy.
Pelvic Floor
Many women are concerned about their pelvic floor, especially after giving birth. The main concern is that the pelvic floor weakens after childbirth, which can lead to problems such as urinary incontinence, difficulties with continence (a lack of bladder control), or even death in some cases.
What is Diastasis?
Diastasis means separation. This separation can be noticed when lying down, especially if your legs and stomach are spread out. The uterus will stay put because it has a strong band of connective tissue between it and the floor of your ribcage. But as the ab muscles move towards each other, they pull the uterus away from that strong band and into space. This creates a gap or “diastasis” on one side of your abdomen where the rectus abdominis muscle meets the lower back (or spine).
The 2 Most Common Signs that you have Diastasis Recti
The good news is that a few methods can help correct this condition. These include the following:
- Back pain. A person with diastasis recti may experience back pain due to the stretching and rotation of the soft tissues in the back. This can lead to decreased pressure on all surrounding nerves, which might result in headaches, increased anxiety, or even an attack of epilepsy.
- A common sign of diastasis is an inability to handle a load. It decreases your body’s ability to handle a load. This might be due to problems with the muscles in your back or legs and poor posture or circulation. It can also indicate that you lack strength and stability in those areas, which could lead to falls and other accidents.
Why Abdominal Separation Leads to Back Pain?
Separating the right and left sides of your rectus abdominus can lead to back pain. This separation can occur when the space that runs down the middle gets wider. The linea alba gets stretched wider, and there is increased space between your abdominal muscles right and left sides. The increased space results from your body’s attempt to protect itself from injury.
The right and left sides of the rectus abdominus are separated by a tendon called the tendinous intersection. The tendinous intersection separates your rectus abdominus, which is on the front side of your body, from your transverse abdominus and your obliques, which are located on your backside. Because of this separation between the muscles and tendons that make up the rectus abdominus, it can be difficult to tell whether you have a separation between the right and left sides.
A separation between the right and left sides can cause pain in your lower back and other areas of your body. A separation between the right and left sides can also cause an imbalance in how much each side of the abdominal muscles contributes to core stability. If you have an imbalance in how much each side of the abdominal muscles contributes to core stability, you may have more back pain.
It is important to address this issue if you have a separation between the right and left sides. Then if you do not address the separation, it can cause issues with your body’s core stability. If you have back pain, talk to your doctor about how best to address the issue of separation between the right and left sides of your rectus abdominus.
3 Signs and Symptoms of Pelvic floor dysfunction
Pelvic floor dysfunction is a common issue that can affect any woman. It’s estimated that up to 50% of women experience some form of dysfunction in the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor dysfunction can affect any body part, from the uterus to the bladder. The most common symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction are:
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Pain when inserting tampons
- Feel like you can’t tighten your pelvic floor
Why are Kegels not Enough for your Tight Pelvic Floor?
The Kegel exercise is a simple clench-and-release exercise that strengthens your pelvic floor muscles. Doing Kegel exercises is not advisable since they can worsen the pain, leaking, constipation, or sexual dysfunction.
Do not do the Kegel exercise if your pelvic floor is overactive until you consult your pelvic floor physical therapist.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you must see a doctor. Various treatments are available for diastasis recti; depending on the severity, you may need surgery or physical therapy.
For your comprehensive guide to eliminating low back pain, check out Low Back Pain Solved here!
