DRA and Pelvic Floor PT
Diastasis recti abdominis is a condition where the two halves of the rectus abdominis muscle (the "six-pack" muscles) separate along the midline of the abdomen. This can occur during pregnancy, particularly in the later stages (normal by the end of pregnancy), or due to other factors like heavy lifting, poor pressure management in abdomen, or obesity.
Pelvic floor physical therapy (PT) can be highly beneficial for managing diastasis recti and improving overall core and pelvic health. Here's how pelvic floor PT can help:
1. Assessment and Diagnosis:
Evaluation: A physical therapist will assess the extent of the diastasis recti, checking for the width of the separation and the strength of the abdominal muscles. Not only does the “width” matter but also the “depth”. The depth tells us how the muscle is generating force which is hugely important for a functional “core”.
Posture and Alignment: We also evaluate your posture and alignment, as poor posture can contribute to diastasis recti, and continue the weakness at the adominals.
2. Strengthening Exercises:
Core Activation: You'll learn exercises to engage the core muscles, such as the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and obliques which all help support the abdominal wall. We need all the muscles working together.
Safe Abdominal Exercises: The therapist will guide you through exercises that help close the separation without putting undue pressure on the area. This is very individualized. There are no “good” or “bad” exercises. It's important to find a program where you are challenging the muscles without losing good pressure management.
3. Pelvic Floor Integration:
Pelvic Floor Exercises: Making sure you are coordinating the pelvic floor muscles (IE they can relax and contract well) can improve support for the abdominal muscles and help manage any related symptoms, such as pelvic pain or incontinence. The pelvic floor muscles work with the deep core muscles- you can not isolate the two.
Breathing Techniques: Proper breathing techniques can also help engage the core and pelvic floor muscles more effectively. This is also very important for pressure management in the abdomen and pelvic region.
4. Education:
Body Mechanics: We will teach you how to move safely and avoid activities that might worsen the separation. We love functional exercises and high level tasks but we want to make sure you are doing them well.
Self-Care Strategies: You’ll learn techniques for managing and reducing symptoms, including ways to support your abdomen during daily activities.
5. Postpartum Care:
Recovery Support: For new mothers, pelvic floor PT can support recovery by addressing diastasis recti and other postpartum issues like pelvic pain or incontinence.
Functional Training: The therapy can help you regain strength and function, which is crucial for daily tasks and caring for a newborn.
If you're dealing with diastasis recti, working with a qualified pelvic floor physical therapist can provide a tailored plan to address your specific needs and help you achieve better abdominal and pelvic health! It doesn’t matter if you have had it for a few months or 15 years! There are things you can do to help. If you are breast feeding it is important to understand that hormonal changes can affect fascia/muscles, so we don’t always know the full success until you have stopped breast feeding plus 3-6 months after completion. Research also shows it can take 2-3 years for tissue to build back the same tensile stress as pre-injury and we need to make sure we are challenging the tissue enough for it to build resilience back- IE advanced abdominal exercises with good form. If for some reason we aren’t obtaining the results you desire we are happy to help you find a surgeon or refer you to someone who can help.