If you are a woman who has just given birth, then you may be wondering how to treat diastasis recti. Diastasis recti is a condition that causes the abdominal wall muscles to separate and creates an abnormal separation of the linea alba. The condition can cause significant discomfort or pain in daily activities. This blog post will provide tips for prevention, treatment methods, and exercises to help heal your body after giving birth.
How to Prevent Diastasis Recti:
- Pelvic stability and strength – Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles is key in preventing diastasis recti. The pelvic floor muscles play an essential role in supporting your abdominal wall and also help with core stabilization. Maintaining good biomechanics during exercise, especially weight-bearing and core exercises, is also essential.
- Diet – Reduce the intake of junk food and processed foods that contain lots of sugar.
- Hydration – It is recommended that you drink at least 64 ounces of water per day.
- Posture – Maintaining a neutral spine will also help prevent separating the abdominal wall muscles. You can keep good posture by having your ears directly over your shoulders, tuck in your chin, and maintain a lift through the crown of your head.
- Movement – It is important to be active during pregnancy and right after childbirth. Being active will help prevent excess weight gain, which may also cause diastasis recti.
- Genetics – While many things can cause diastasis recti, some people may be more predisposed to developing the condition.
How to Treat Diastasis Recti:
- Pelvic stabilization and strength – The prevention section states that pelvic floor muscles are extremely important in maintaining an upright posture and proper biomechanics during exercise. You should continue to perform your Kegel exercises and core strengthening exercises such as planks and squats.
- Diet – As with most health conditions, whole foods are important in treating rectus diastasis. In addition to eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water is very beneficial for the body. If you want to lose weight after giving birth, you should consult your doctor before beginning a new diet plan.
- Hydration – It is very important to maintain hydration while performing exercises such as planks and squats, making you feel nauseous if not enough water has been consumed. If you experience dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea during exercise, take a break until you feel better before continuing with your workout.
- Posture – Maintaining a good upright posture can help strengthen your core and pelvic floor muscles. Try to keep your ears directly over your shoulders, tuck in your chin, and lift through the crown of your head when engaging in exercises such as planks or squats.
- Movement – As mentioned above, it is important to be active during and after pregnancy. In addition, when performing exercises such as planks or squats, you should keep your feet about hip-width apart with toes pointed forward or out slightly while keeping the knees in good alignment over the ankles. This will help prevent excess strain on the back.
- Exercise – During treatment, it is important to exercise using controlled movements. While performing planks and squats, make sure to keep your toes pointed forward or out slightly while keeping the knees in good alignment over the ankles. This will help prevent excess strain on the back when exercising with a diastasis recti since these exercises put a lot of pressure on this area. It is important to avoid any exercises which may cause strain or additional separation of the abdominal wall muscles.
- Abdominal Bracing – It is recommended that you perform abdominal bracing at all times during pregnancy, even when not exercising. During labor and immediately after birth, abdominal bracing can help decrease pain and the force needed to push the baby through the birth canal. By bracing your stomach muscles, you similarly engage your core to perform planks and squats, which can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and abdominal wall.
- Postural Alignment Exercises – While these exercises are designed to help with alignment by stretching tight muscles and strengthening weak muscles, they should be avoided if you are experiencing diastasis recti.
These are some of the few ways you can treat diastasis recti. It is essential to consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise plan or diet to ensure it is safe.
