Understanding Diastasis
What is Diastasis Recti (pronounced dye-uh-STAY-siss REK-tye)
"Diastasis Recti often reveals itself with pooching or doming of your stomach, sometimes making you appear as if you are pregnant - men included."
The condition can be caused by internal pressure on the front of your abdomen around your belly button as a result of obesity or pregnancy, Adominal muscle connective tissues stretch and weaken at the mid-line.
The left and right sides of the abs look and feel seperated. Diastasis recti refers to the thinning of the linea alba. Excessive intra abdominal pressure means the pressure inside your abdominal and pelvic cavity, is pushing outwards at the front (that’s your diastasis popping out, or even a hernia), downwards (right onto your pelvic floor) or upwards (compromising optimal breathing as well as messing with your whole shoulder girdle and upper body alignment). Like any confined space under extreme pressure, something’s eventually got to give, and that’s when you actually feel or see the problem.
A Diastasis Recti looks like a ridge, which runs down the middle of your belly area. The protruding bulge can stretch from the bottom of your breastbone to your belly button, and increases with muscle straining. Diastasis Recti is not a hernia - a umbilical hernia and diastasis recti can co-exist, but are not related.
DR Diagram
Who is at risk for Diastasis and why?
Diastasis recti can happen to men, women, and even babies. An increase in abdominal pressure can occur as a result of an expanding waistline, either due to a growing baby or weight gain - really overweight.. It can also stem from years of intense ab work. When pressure builds, such as inevitably happens during pregnancy, the connective tissues weaken and become thinner, which increases the load in other parts of your body, such as the low back.
Complications from Diastasis
Welll …. when the abdominal muscles separate, it weakens your entire core’s support system — resulting in a severe pelvic tilt, lower back pain and that dreaded “mommy tummy ” or “pooch.” If you have diastasis, the mommy tummy or pooch that you are so unhappy with, could actually be your protruding organs!
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Tummy Pooch
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Lower Back Pain
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Constipation
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Urine Leakage
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Hernia
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Poor Posture
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Pelvic floor dysfunction
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Pelvic Girdle Pain
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(children)
Women
Heavy lifting the wrong way, obesity, and Pregnant women who typically:
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are expecting mulitples
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Having more than one child makes this condition more likely, especially if they’re close in age.
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have had abdominal separation with a previous pregnancy
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are very petite
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have a pronounced sway back or poor abdominal muscle tone
Babies & Children
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Men
Heavy lifting the wrong way, yo yo dieting, but it is also common in those, who are really overweight.
Men have a rather unique pattern of rectus diastasis – a midline bulge that is located between the umbilicus and the sternum.
Now that you understand diastasis, learn how to check yourself for the condition >