According to Google, this is a question many people ask.
As a realization of Diastasis Recti has increased, so has the degree of confusion and misinformation on the subject. Our goal is to demystify Diastasis Recti (DR) with evidence-based, obvious information that empowers you to move (and heal) your body with confidence.
In this post, we’d like to address the question of whether Diastasis Recti can be “fixed” (or cured or repaired) — even years later.
The short answer is YES. You can absolutely heal your Diastasis Recti at any time — even if you have had it for years — because the core tissues strained during pregnancy will respond to the type of inputs you give it. This means that with the right training, you can strengthen your deep core to function at a very high level, allowing you to do the activities you love.
Now, the CAUTION.
The more nuanced answer to this question depends on how you define “fixed” (or healed), which we’ll discuss below. But first, let’s briefly recap what Diastasis Recti is and how (more accurately) to check yourself for it.
What is Diastasis Recti?
DR is a “wider than usual” separation between the left and right side of the rectus abdominis (or “6 pack” muscle). A commonly used definition is a separation 2.7 cm (about 2 finger widths) the biggest in the navel (Rath et a., 1996). The word “dimension” means separationand “recti” refers to the rectus abdominis muscle. You can see an image of what this might look like below.
DR can often appear as a “torpedo-like” bulge in the abdomen. It is often easier to see this during any movement that engages the abdominal muscles, as in the image below.
What causes DR
The main cause of DR is consistent and excessive intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). There are several factors that can lead to increased IAP, which is why DR can occur anyone – male and female alike. However, a (completely normal and necessary) cause of DR is the growing belly during pregnancy. As the belly grows, it thins and stretches the connective tissue that runs along the midline of the body, called linea alba. This weakens the linea alba, which causes a widening of the distance between the left and right side of the rectus abdominis (“6-pack” muscle).
Because DR is a natural part of pregnancy, everyone will have at least one some grade DR immediately after delivery. Healing rates vary widely from person to person based on several factors. That’s where we’ll get into now.
How to test yourself for DR
Before you start working to cure your DR, it’s important to have an accurate picture of your starting point. DR evaluation is imperfect, with many factors that can affect the results. If you haven’t already, follow one of the posts below to make sure you’re running the DR check in a way that gives you the most accurate results. NOTE: We recommend waiting until you are at least 6 weeks postpartum to perform this assessment, as everyone will have at least some degree of DR in the postpartum weeks.
Notice how both articles emphasize the importance of control width and depth — and to emphasize that the Depth rating is actually the most indicative indicator of DR severity.
Once you know your starting point, you are ready to begin your healing journey.
What does DR “Correction” or “Cure” mean?
Most of the time today, when people talk about treating DR, they think “Bridging the Gap.” However, there are some major problems with this line of thinking.
1. You don’t know what your “gap” was before pregnancy.
Anatomically, there has always been a “gap” between the left and right sides of your rectus abdominis. We are not born fused but, rather, are designed to be flexible and move in three dimensions. However, you probably realized this width after you already learned that yours has increased during pregnancy. As a result, you have no point of comparison for the newer width because you don’t know what your baseline was. Therefore, trying to “close the gap” is not a precise or measurable goal.
2. “Empty” is not the ONLY important feature that defines DR.
As discussed in the articles linked above about how to screen for DR, newer research shows that how much intensity you can create at the linea alba (or at the “depth” of your gap) is a more telling indicator of the severity of your DR by the width of your gap. Simply put, if your core is strong and functional and you don’t get sore, then your gap width matters very little. As an example of this, see the quick video demonstration below. In this case, you can see the width of the gap quite clearly. However, this person can create a lot of “tension” in the linea alba tissue and have no pain. So this is not a problematic DR case.
So you can see that “fixing” DR is a matter of perspective and nuance.
The bottom line: the goal is to develop a strong and fit body that will support the activities that matter to you. This can be anything from lifting your child out of the car seat without pain or chasing your grandkids in the park. Successful treatment is characterized by satisfaction with your quality of life, not by achieving a certain number on a relatively subjective assessment.
Factors affecting healing DR
Now that we’ve outlined what defines successful healing, let’s take a look at the various factors that affect the rate and extent of healing. These include:
- Alignment The positions in which you orient and move your body will directly affect the function of your deep core. During pregnancy, the forces acting on the body often lead to misalignment, which can often persist into the postpartum period. These alignment changes can lead to changes in core recruitment strategies, which can disrupt how the deep core is fired. The more you can learn to position and move your body in neutral alignment, the faster your linea alba tissue will heal.
- Breathing style: It may come as a surprise that the way you breathe affects the strength and efficiency of your core. Often, alignment changes and pregnancy weight gain affect breathing patterns, which can change how and how much the core works. Learning to breathe with 360° Mechanical Breathing is one of the most significant factors that can speed up healing.
- Amount of Physical Activity: How active you are will play a big role in how quickly your core regains control and strength. Typically, the more active you are, the faster the deep core structures will recover.
- Degree in Core Recovery Work: Strengthening your deep core from the inside out with intentional postpartum recovery work will heal your core structures much faster than if your core is not fed this type of progressive and specific work. If you haven’t started the kernel recovery yet, don’t worry. Below, you’ll find resources to help you begin to heal and strengthen your deep core — no matter how long ago you gave birth.
- Age: Remember that the linea alba tissue consists of collagen. However, after the age of 25, collagen production begins to decline and continues to decline as one ages, especially after 40. Therefore, the older you are, the longer the healing process can take.
- Genetics: The characteristics of your soft tissues, such as your collagen and skin, are influenced by your genetics. So the degree to which you have inherited “loose” or “tighter” tissue will affect the speed of your recovery.
- Diet: Collagen (of which the linea alba tissue is mainly composed) is a substance found in food. Therefore, your food choices directly affect the amount of collagen you consume. Eating collagen-rich foods can improve the healing and function of your connective tissues, including the linea alba. Conversely, eating a diet higher in processed foods can increase inflammation and slow down the body’s healing efforts.
- Pregnancy weight gain: The more weight gained, the more the tissues were stretched and strained, which affects the degree and speed of recovery.
Resources to Help You Treat DR (At Any Age)
While some of the factors listed above may be out of your control (eg age), it exists abundance you can do to facilitate healing at any point after delivery. Here are some resources to help you with this:
- Postpartum core recovery article: This article will teach you movement strategies and some powerful exercises to help you begin your healing journey to develop a stronger and more resilient body (FREE article).
- 8 Week Core Recovery Program: This is a self-guided program provided in the ProNatal Fitness app. Each day, you will receive one 5 – 8 minute core recovery routine. Your routines are advanced each day to step you through the entire ProNatal Core Recovery protocol and help you rebuild your core from the inside out. The plan includes lifetime access so you can stop or restart at any time ($79).
- Become a ProNatal Certified Trainer: If you’re a health and fitness professional interested in learning how to train prenatal and postpartum clients, explore our industry leaders Pre-Postnatal Fitness Specialist Certification. In this in-depth course, you will learn the details behind the ProNatal Core Recovery Protocol and how to use it on all types of clients to heal DR and build a truly strong and functional core ($699 – $799).
Sources:
Rath, AM, Attali, P., Dumas, JL, Goldlust, D., Zhang, J., Chevrel, JP (1996). The abdominal linea alba: an anatomic-radiological and biomechanical study. Surgical and Radiological Anatomy. 18, 281-288.
Spitznagle, TM, Leong, FC, & Van Dillen, LR (2007). Prevalence of rectus abdominis in a urogynecological patient population. International journal of urogynecology, 18(3), 321-328.
