Life has slowed down in the last few weeks and I found myself lost down a rabbit hole of misinformation.
Diastasis rectus abdominis (or DRA) is such a hot top these days. It is so nice that most of my patients (especially postpartum ladies) are aware that this is even a thing, but the fear and misinformation around a separation in the abdominal muscles during or after pregnancy makes me sad.
▪️What is a DRA? This is a separation of the rectus abdominus muscles or your six pack muscles. This can be very small and is usually measures in fingers or centimeters.
**Permission to use copyright image from Pelvic Guru
▪️Is it normal to have a DRA? Yep! We have a separation in our abdominals when we are born and over the first two years of life, this will come together in most, but not all toddlers. This is also normal to see during pregnancy and during the postpartum time frame. Similar to what we see in children, this can heal on its own in most postpartum women.
▪️Should you be aware that you have one? Yes!! Absolutely!!
▪️Should you be afraid that your abdominal muscles will never be functional again? No!!!
▪️Is DRA preventable during pregnancy? Nope. Your uterus needs room to expand and your linea alba (the tissue between your 6 pack muscles) is designed to stretch to let this happen.
▪️If you have a diastasis, should you avoid certain exercises? Maybe! In PT school, I had a professor who would say “it depends” and just walk away without explaining further. Managing DRA is about learning how to use your core as a whole versus just closing the gap. There might be times where certain core exercises are not the most appropriate activity for you YET. I think it is always worth a try to get back to exercises you love or feel are valuable!
▪️Will crunches make my separation bigger? If you are using your core correctly, this is not likely! This separation comes from sustained stretch over time, not because you did a few crunches or sat up out of bed “wrong.” Lists of exercises that you should NEVER DO AGAIN are trying to take a complex system and pigeon hole it into a nice list of rules. This is not how the body works.
When I first graduated PT school, the discussion around DRA was to close the gap. With additional research, we are learning that it is more important to have a firm linea alba, strong abdominal muscles, and good pressure management strategies even if your gap is out of the normal range.
▪️How do I know if I have a DRA? You can perform a self check like in the video below or your can have a physical therapist or personal trainer who has had additional training on pregnancy & postpartum check out your muscles for you.
▪️What do I do if I have a Diastasis?! Call a pelvic floor physical therapist for a full assessment of your core system. If there is not one available in your area, please reach out to me and I will help you find a therapist or coach who can assess you and help you move forward with your DRA.