Signs of diastasis of the abdominal muscles and how to eliminate it. Effective abdominal exercise for diastasis of the rectus muscles

Carrying a little person is a huge test for the female body and, in particular, for the abdominal muscles. The baby grows, the tummy of the expectant mother increases in size, intra-abdominal pressure naturally increases. Plus, during pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called elastin, due to which the ligaments and connective tissues become softer, more elastic, and supple. The rectus abdominis muscles are connected by the so-called "white line" - a strip of connective tissue that becomes thinner under the influence of elastin and stretches as the tummy grows. As a result, the rectus abdominis muscles diverge. In most cases, after childbirth, the muscles gradually converge and after a couple of months they take their usual position ... But, unfortunately, this does not always happen. Approximately 25-30% of young mothers are faced with the fact that former forms are returning, excess weight is leaving, and the stomach stubbornly does not want to give up its positions! Outwardly, such a belly looks flabby, a little (or not a little) fallen out, not amenable to any weight loss and anti-cellulite tricks. If you observe a similar picture in the mirror, there are two options - 1) you have problems with nutrition; 2) you have diastasis.

What is diastasis? DIASTASIS is a divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles, as a result of which a cavity forms between the right "cubes" of the press and the left ones. Diastasis is an unpleasant and very insidious thing. And it is insidious in that, firstly, it has a number of consequences (if nothing is done with it), secondly, the body with diastasis looks unaesthetic (a disproportionately wide waist, a rather large and loose belly), and thirdly, standard training of the abdominal muscles, contrary to the expected result, only exacerbates the picture ... But you should not despair! There is a way out, the main thing is to set a goal and believe in your own result.

Do not rush to panic. Before taking any action, check if you have this very diastasis. It's very easy to do this:

• lie on the floor, bend your knees, put your feet close to you;
• put one hand behind your head, raise your head and shoulders, as if you are going to do crunches on the press;
• With your free hand, feel the belly along the white line. First from the navel down, then up. The fingers should be placed across the abdomen.

If in the process of "research" you find that your fingers fall inward - there is reason to think.

But there is no need to panic now. If you have a discrepancy of less than 3 cm (3-4 fingers) - you do not have diastasis. And the surgeon, to whom you run with frightened eyes, pulling up your blouse on the go, will smile condescendingly at you and send you home without a diagnosis. Because a discrepancy of less than 3 cm is just that same strip of connective tissue - a white line, but not diastasis.

So when to run to the surgeon?

Diastasis has 3 degrees of severity. Grade 1 - discrepancy from 5 to 7 cm, Grade 2 - from 7 to 10 cm, Grade 3 - more than 10 cm. Unfortunately, grade 3 diastasis can only be eliminated surgically (abdominoplasty). Diastasis of the 1st and 2nd degree can also be removed with the help of special exercises and a bandage.

If you still haven’t figured out whether you have diastasis or not, it’s better to play it safe and make an appointment with a surgeon. because Only a specialist can make a diagnosis with 100% accuracy.

What to do if the surgeon diagnosed you with diastasis?

First, adjust your diet! Don't delay, get started today! Only proper nutrition will allow the body to start the process of fat burning and save you from the first unwanted centimeters in the abdomen. The second step is special exercises.

And before moving on to the exercises, I will tell you about what absolutely cannot be done:

• lifting the body or legs (twisting on the press);
• exercises based on 4 points with the stomach down (plank, push-ups);
• Exercises in which tension increases intra-abdominal pressure (deep squats, weighted squats, weighted deadlifts, weighted lunges);
• arches in the lower back.

Well, here we finally got to the coveted list of exercises allowed for diastasis:

✅ Ripple (Vacuum)/ Lying, standing or sitting. On exhalation, we pull in the stomach by force (press it against the spine), keep the stomach pulled in for 15-30 seconds, while inhaling, we relax, but do not inflate the stomach. If it is difficult to hold your breath for 30 seconds, you can take a short breath (without relaxing your stomach). You can also help yourself with your palms to feel the exercise as much as possible. Vakkum is a tedious exercise, but extremely effective! It is the vacuum that strengthens the deep transverse abdominal muscle, which is responsible for ensuring that our stomach is always drawn in and does not relax (do not roll out). You need to do at least 50 times per day (there is no maximum! The more the better), which can be divided into several approaches. For 1 approach we do at least 10 times.

✅ Glute Bridge/ Lie on your back, feet on the floor parallel to each other. Exhale - raise the buttocks as high as possible, draw in the stomach, tighten the press. Inhale - lower the buttocks, relax. 3 sets of 20-25 reps. If the glute bridge is very easy - you can do the glute bridge on 1 leg: we take the starting position, lift one leg up, do 10-15 times and change the leg.

✅ Cat/ We stand on all fours. Exhale - arch your back in an arc, stretch your spine up, strongly retract your stomach. Inhale - we bend strongly, look up, the press is relaxed. 3 to 20-25.

✅ head lifts/ Lie on your back, feet on the floor parallel to each other. Exhale - raise your head, without tearing off your shoulders, forcefully pull in your stomach. Inhale - to the starting position. DO NOT RIP THE SHOVEL! 3 to 20-25.

✅ Bicycle “Light”/ Lie on your back, knees bent, feet slightly off the floor. Exhale - straighten 1 leg above the floor, draw in the stomach. Inhale - to the starting position. Exhale - the same with the other leg. Inhale - initial / 3 to 20 (i.e. 10 for each leg).

✅ side plank/ We stand on one arm (or on the elbow), the opposite shoulder looks up, we put the free hand on the belt (or straighten it up), the legs are straight, the hips are looking forward, the feet are standing one behind the other. One straight line from head to toe. We stand for 30-40 seconds on one hand, turn over to the other side and stand on the other hand for the same amount.

USEFUL ADVICE:

Before training, wear a bandage that will not allow the rectus abdominis muscles to diverge even more. This can be a regular postpartum bandage, or an orthopedic lumbosacral corset, or a sports waist corset.

I really hope that girls who are faced with diastasis will find useful information for themselves in this article and, with the help of a well-functioning diet and conscientious performance of special exercises, get rid of it once and for all! Good luck to you! Believe in yourself, and everything will definitely work out for you;)

The birth of a child is a great happiness for any mother, but at the same time, this joyful event is often accompanied by not very pleasant changes in the figure and appearance of a woman. The main changes often occur in weight gain, as well as in the appearance diastasis after childbirth. Those who have already had the experience of having a baby are most likely familiar with this medical term, but for those who have this process yet to come, it is worth defining it.

Diastasis rectus abdominis- this is the divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles relative to the white line (connective tissue, where the tendons of the muscles connect). This discrepancy can be either very small (up to 1.5 cm in the first weeks after childbirth), or significant (from 2 cm or more). It is the size and period of its manifestation that indicates the seriousness of this problem for a woman. And today we will analyze all the nuances associated with diastasis after childbirth, find out its causes, learn how to determine if you have diastasis or not, and also consider effective exercises for diastasis, which will help strengthen the abdominal muscles and get rid of a bulging tummy.

A bit of anatomy

The abdominal muscles include four muscle groups, two of which are external and two are internal.

The extrinsic muscles are rectus and external oblique abdominal muscles, which form the well-known 6 cubes. And the internal abdominal muscles are transverse and internal oblique muscles, which create a certain muscular frame, which allows us to tightly hold our internal organs, as well as tighten our waist, making it narrower. Thus, their actions can be compared with the principle of a tightened corset, which makes our figure athletic and graceful.

How to determine diastasis?

Before we move on to practical recommendations and exercises for diastasis, you must first determine whether you have it or not. To do this, you need to do the following test:

1. Lie on your back, bend your knees (feet on the floor).
2. Place one hand behind your head, and place 2-3 fingers of the second hand along your entire midline at the level of the navel, parallel to the waist line.
3. Raise your head off the floor, feeling the abdominal muscles tighten.
4. Begin to feel the entire midline with your fingers, moving up and down from the navel line. Record how many fingers fit between the abdominal muscles.

If the gap has not formed, and the muscles of your press have not formed a "hole", then you do not have diastasis, congratulations! If you feel that your abdominal muscles have parted to the sides, and a cavity a few centimeters wide has formed between them, then you have diastasis rectus abdominis.

Causes

Of course, diastasis itself cannot occur. Several factors influence its appearance:

- increased intra-abdominal pressure (lifting heavy weights, straining)

- weakness of the connective tissue, which leads to diseases such as hernias, varicose veins, excessive mobility of joints and ligaments, etc.

- pregnancy.

In this article, we consider diastasis rectus abdominis, associated precisely with the last factor, which concerns almost all women - future and real mothers.

In pregnant women, as the fetus grows, the uterus also increases in size, which increases pressure on the abdominal wall, stretching the connective tissue (white line of the abdomen), which, under the influence of the hormone relaxin, becomes softer and more elastic. The hormone relaxin is secreted in pregnant women in order to make their ligaments and joints more mobile, which helps women give birth easier, but at the same time, it makes the connective tissue that makes up our white line of the abdomen overly elastic. It turns out that the hormone relaxin contributes to the appearance of diastasis in pregnant women.

These two factors are increased pressure of the uterus on the abdominal wall And overly elastic connective tissue - and are the main reasons for the appearance diastasis after childbirth.

But in fact, you don’t need to immediately fall into despair and postpartum depression if you find yourself with diastasis immediately after childbirth. This phenomenon is absolutely normal. Most mothers who have given birth have a divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles, which normally should not exceed 2 cm. That is, if the width of your white line is 2-3 cm within 1.5 months after childbirth, then this is absolutely normal (the reasons we have already determined). During this period, you just need to do strengthening exercises for the abdominal muscles, which I will talk about below, and just wait for the muscles to tone up and the distance will decrease by itself.

If the divergence of the muscles exceeds more than 3 cm (3-4 fingers can easily fit between the abdominal muscles that have parted to the sides), then here you should take this issue more seriously and use the exercises below to reduce your diastasis, since there is a high probability that it won't just disappear on its own.

Stages of diastasis

1 stage- a slight expansion of the white line of the abdomen, which practically does not visually affect the shape of the abdomen (divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles up to 4-5 cm).

Stage 2 - divergence of the rectus abdominis muscle in its lower section. At this stage, a protruding tummy is already noticeable, especially in its lower part (divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles up to 7-10 cm).

Stage 3 - divergence of the rectus abdominis, both in the lower and upper sections. This already significantly affects the shape of the abdomen, plus everything can cause an umbilical hernia (divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles up to 15 cm).

Types of diastasis

With the first stage of diastasis, you can very quickly and without surgery return the prenatal shape of the abdomen, especially if the girl was friends with sports before childbirth and during pregnancy.

If the girl has the 2nd stage of diastasis, then special exercises for the press + will help her significantly reduce the size of the diastasis within 7-10 weeks. And if the girl has the 3rd stage, then, most likely, it’s not so easy to get rid of diastasis. Perhaps it makes sense to resort to surgical intervention and do abdominoplasty (tightening of the rectus abdominis muscles), but even such a radical method does not always promise to return your flat stomach to 100%, and the cost of this procedure is not the cheapest ... Therefore, the choice here is up to the woman and depends on her financial situation and the degree of her desperation.

How to get rid of diastasis yourself?

Diastasis rectus abdominis is a very serious problem for all women, causing them both external (aesthetic) discomfort in the form of a protruding belly (sometimes it seems that they are 3-5 months pregnant, their stomach protrudes so much), and internal (moral) discomfort, which affects their self-doubt and low self-esteem.

Therefore, it is not surprising that girls who are faced with this problem want to get rid of it by any means. To do this, they search for various videos on the Internet, read articles and communicate with other mothers who have the same problem as they do, trying to get rid of diastasis on their own based on some advice. But in fact, there is a lot of information on the Internet, and often it is very contradictory. Some sources indicate some exercises and ways to get rid of diastasis, others - completely different, and contradicting the first. In such an information space of options, it is easy to get confused, but it is even easier to exacerbate an already existing problem.

Most of the abdominal exercises that we are used to doing in the gym, at home or in fitness classes, mainly involve the external abdominal muscles, which are responsible for the formation of those very ones. But when it comes to diastasis, we don’t need to pump cubes, which are of no use, but to strengthen the internal muscles of the press, which will hold the internal organs and can save you from a bulging belly. But before proceeding to consider useful and effective exercises for diastasis, let's find out what exercises will not only not lead to the desired flat stomach, but can also aggravate your diastasis, for example, if you had the 1st stage of diastasis, then it can become the 2nd, and if it was 2- I, then can become the 3rd.

Prohibited exercises for diastasis

• Crunches/rollups/setups
• Various twists (straight, side, reverse)
• Bike
• Lowering and raising legs from a prone position
• Push ups
• Lower back exercises
• Fitball exercise, which involves a strong stretching of the abdominal muscles.

Unlike various types of crunches, which only engage the outer abdominal muscles and do nothing to improve the situation with your muscles that have parted to the sides, exercises aimed at the internal deep muscles of the abs are the lifesaver that can radically change the appearance of your protruding abdomen and significantly reduce diastasis. What are these exercises?

Exercise "Vacuum" is one of the most effective exercises for working out exactly the INTERNAL TRANSVERSAL abdominal muscle, which is responsible for the muscular corset and holding the organs inside. If you regularly (3-5 times a week) perform this exercise, then the first positive results can be seen after 1.5-2 months.

The Planck exercise and all its variants (classical and side planks) are static, which means that when you perform them, you use, as in a vacuum, exactly the internal muscles of the abdomen. Therefore, be sure to include planks in your diastasis exercises if you want to see your flat tummy.

Abs workout with different plank options

This complex is designed for a fairly advanced level. Of course, young mothers after the birth of a child are not in the best sports shape, so you need to start doing the bar gradually from the simplest option in 3 sets of 40-60 seconds of holding in statics, and then, as your muscles begin to grow stronger, you can add more and more complex modifications to this exercise and increase the time of the ab workout itself.

It is important to remember that when performing the plank with diastasis, you need to carefully monitor the technique of performing the exercise and all the time RETRACT THE STOMACH. Your abdominal muscles should not be relaxed even for a second! This is a very important point!

 Notes

You can perform abdominal exercises with diastasis 3-4 weeks after childbirth.

1. All static press exercises

These exercises involve holding the abdominal muscles without moving for a while. Such exercises can also be ordinary twists, but only performed WITHOUT MOVEMENT OF THE BODY UP-DOWN. For example, holding the shoulders at the top IN STATIC and exercise HUNDRED:

Holding the press in static tension

Exercises HUNDRED

We perform this exercise from 40 seconds to 1-2 minutes in 3 sets

Do 20-30 repetitions in 3 sets.

1. Glute Bridge

This exercise strengthens the pelvic floor muscles well. You can perform it, both in a simple version (two feet are on the floor), and complicated (one leg is raised up or lies on the knee of the other). Perform 15 repetitions in 3 sets.

All of the above exercises for diastasis are simple but quite effective. If you perform them regularly at least 3 times a week, plus all this adhere to a balanced fractional diet and do at least a short light cardio several times a week, then the result can be seen after 1.5-3 months for girls with the 1st stage of diastasis and after 4-8 months (possibly up to 1 year) for girls with the 2nd and 3rd stage of diastasis. The main thing to remember is the regularity of training and the correct technique for performing exercises.

I hope I was able to answer all your questions, and now you know that a small natural diastasis after childbirth- this is a normal phenomenon, which can be combated with specially selected exercises. You also learned how to determine if you have diastasis rectus abdominis or not, and what to do if you still find it in yourself. Hope the above exercises for diastasis, will help you reduce it in size and return your belly to its prenatal state.

Sincerely yours, Yaneliya Skripnik!

What does the term "diastasis rectus abdominis" mean?

Every woman would like to have a sporty flat stomach. Good athletic shape can be maintained in many ways: diets, exercise, massages, plastic surgery. But there are some features of the structure of the female body, which are due to nature. For most women, becoming a mother is a very important and desirable moment in life.

During pregnancy and childbirth, a woman's body undergoes many changes that contribute to the bearing and birth of a child. During pregnancy, changes occur in the structure of the tissues of the abdominal cavity, the walls become soft. The uterus exerts pressure on the wall of the abdominal cavity, as a result of which the thin tissues of the midline of the abdomen expand. A similar change in the rectus abdominis muscles when they expand is called diastasis. As a result of this, the abdomen is divided in relation to the middle part of the abdomen into two halves, left and right.

A slight expansion of the abdominal muscles is observed in many women in the postpartum period and is not a pathology, but if the midline expands by more than 2 cm, then this can already cause some discomfort in a woman. First of all, diastasis makes the appearance of the abdomen unaesthetic. This can lead to a psychological problem for a woman, the emergence of complexes.

In addition to psychological harm, this unpleasant phenomenon in the abdominal cavity can also cause physical harm to the body. It makes the walls of the abdominal cavity not so strong, can provoke pain in the lumbar region.

How to determine the presence of diastasis?

Turning to professionals for help, you can get competent answers to this question. The surgeon can easily tell if a woman has such a problem in the abdominal cavity, and will give the right recommendations.

For those who do not really like going to the doctors, there are ways to determine the expansion of the rectus muscles at home.

To determine the presence of diastasis, it is necessary to lie comfortably on a hard, flat surface. That is, take a position, as when performing an exercise on the press. Then raise the head and forearms up, leave the legs on the floor, find the midline of the abdomen, press, if a “hollow” is felt under the fingers, this indicates the appearance of diastasis. In some women who have diastasis after the birth of a child, a strongly protruding abdomen can be observed, which is very similar to the abdomen of a pregnant woman.

The first thing to remember is that excessive physical activity, including on the abdominal muscles immediately after childbirth, can be harmful. By zealously performing abdominal exercises with diastasis, you can further exacerbate the problem. Large loads can provoke even more expansion in the midline of the abdomen. Therefore, it is better to be patient a little and start fitness classes after a month and a half after the woman gave birth.

Exercises for the press with raising the body, legs, various twists, that is, all exercises in which the protrusion of the abdomen occurs, should not be performed. There is a risk of an increase in diastasis.

Such exercises for diastasis as a plank, push-ups from the floor on the arms and elbows are also categorically not recommended.

Do not make sudden movements while getting up from the bed, in which there is a load on the rectus muscles.

With diastasis, static exercises or exercises in a calm, measured rhythm are recommended. Perfect for Pilates. This system of exercises is suitable for any age and any level of fitness. The exercises are safe, they are performed in a calm rhythm and are based on the concentration of the mind to perform the correct exercise. Well tighten the abdominal muscles.

Exercises to help deal with diastasis rectus abdominis

It is necessary to carefully approach the choice of exercises to eliminate diastasis. It depends on the correctly selected complex whether a woman can get rid of this problem or not.

Abdominal retraction:

Such an exercise can be easily performed while sitting at home with a child, preparing lunch in the kitchen, while walking with a baby. It is necessary to draw in the stomach and hold for a few seconds. Several approaches a day 30 times and the results will not be long in coming. Within a month, the muscles will become more elastic.

Exercise "Cat":

It is necessary to kneel, put your hands at shoulder level, hands and knees are at right angles. Keep the stomach pulled in. Bend your back, head down, then bend in the back. During the exercise, the stomach is in tension. Do 7-8 repetitions daily.

Butt lift:

Lie on your back, on a flat surface. Keep hands along the body. Bend your legs at the knees and place them shoulder-width apart. Exhaling, lift your hips up, strain your stomach. The abdominal muscles are perfectly worked out, in addition, the muscles of the back of the thigh and the gluteal muscles work. You need to do 15 repetitions.

Head up:

You should remain in the supine position. The legs are also bent at the knees. It is necessary to slowly lift your head off the floor and stay in this position for a few seconds. For some it may be 10-15 seconds, for others it may be 25-30 seconds. The abdominal muscles are tightly clamped. Perform also 15 times.

Knee straightening:

Lie on your back on a flat floor, bend your legs at the knees and raise them above the pelvis. The stomach, as with other exercises, keep in suspense. Keeping the legs on the weight, slowly align one leg along the floor, put it on the floor, then return to its original position and do the same with the second leg. 10 reps per leg will be enough for one set.

It is worth noting that all exercises against diastasis are available for performance, they are easy, uncomplicated. The only thing to keep an eye on is the correct execution. In addition, do not forget to keep the abdominal muscles in tension. Exercises require slow execution. Another factor that will contribute to success in the fight against the problem of diastasis is the regularity of performing a set of exercises. Charging from time to time will not give any result.

All of the above exercises are suitable for the initial stages. If the expansion of the muscles of the abdominal cavity has reached the third stage, more than 10 cm, this is a reason for specialists in medical institutions to deal with the problem. This stage may require surgery. In order to have a correct idea about your problem, it is initially better to consult a doctor and only then proceed to physical exercises.

An important point is the psychological state of the woman and the right positive attitude. Being a mother is already the highest achievement in a woman's life. Believing in her own strength, feeling the support of a loved one, a woman is able to cope with this unpleasant problem and get rid of diastasis forever.

Sometimes a new mother doesn't know what to think when all her efforts to tidy up her belly after childbirth are in vain. With a balanced diet and adequate exercise, the abdominal muscles not only do not regain their former tone, but begin to bulge even more. The reason for such a strange "behavior" of the body may be diastasis of the abdominal muscles - it is this pathology that prevents a woman from regaining her former harmony.

To understand what the pathology is with such a diagnosis, it is necessary, first of all, to know the specifics of the anatomical location of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. The rectus abdominis muscles are interconnected by tendon fibers woven into a strong mesh. The abdominal white line is the name of the place of convergence of these muscles. When this ligament expands for one reason or another, and the rectus muscles diverge to the sides, they speak of their diastasis.

The underlying pathology can be considered a congenital weakness of the connective tissue of the lower part of the white line. Under the influence of constantly increasing intra-abdominal pressure during pregnancy and childbirth, this area is greatly stretched and does not return to its previous position. This is also facilitated by the active synthesis of relaxin, one of the hormones of pregnancy. The substance softens and deprives muscle fibers of tone, thus making the ligamentous complex of muscles and joints of the pelvis more mobile. This is what muscle diastasis looks like after childbirth:

Who becomes an available target for diastasis

The following categories of women fall into the risk group:

• pregnant with a large child;
• pregnant with several babies;
• pregnant women for the second (third or fourth) time;
• diagnosed with polyhydramnios.

In addition to such obvious reasons for the development of diastasis, such as pregnancy and a high degree of stress during childbirth, there are other factors that contribute to the appearance of pathology. Among them are:

• increased physical activity with improper exercise technique;
• prolonged intense cough, which is accompanied by severe straining;
• loss of muscle tone due to sudden fluctuations in body weight (for example, rapid weight loss);
• predisposition to the development of a hernia.

Symptoms of diastasis

Among the obvious signs of diastasis after childbirth, the following can be noted:

• unnaturally bulging navel;
• protruding rounded belly, even if a lot of time has already passed after childbirth;
• regular constipation;
• persistent pain in the back and lower back;
• the appearance of fatty folds in the abdomen.

If you have at least one of these symptoms, you can suspect the presence of diastasis after childbirth.

Diagnostics of diastasis

The following test will help confirm concerns about diastasis: lie on your back on a flat hard surface, bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor. Place one hand behind your head while tensing your abdominal muscles. With the other hand at this time, feel the longitudinal area in the middle of the abdomen. Diastasis will be indicated by the presence of a fossa immediately below the navel or directly at the site of the navel. Knowing how to determine diastasis after childbirth, you can guess the development of the disease even before visiting a doctor.

Do not panic if you feel "huge holes" under your fingers in the first few weeks after the baby is born. At this time, the connective tissue is still very soft and vulnerable. Competent performance of special exercises and, most importantly, time will restore its former strength and elasticity, and the diastasis pits will noticeably decrease.

Degrees of development of diastasis

When there is no pathology, the distance between the rectus abdominal muscles does not exceed 2 cm. The degree of pathology depends on the gap between the xiphoid thoracic process and the navel. To understand what treatment to prescribe to eliminate abdominal diastasis after childbirth, the doctor will first determine the degree of pathology.

The course of diastasis is characterized by 3 stages:

1. At the first stage, the rectus muscles diverge by a maximum of 5-7 cm along the white stripe. This anatomical metamorphosis does not affect the appearance of the abdomen and is considered normal after the first birth. A woman may be disturbed by episodic nausea, pain in the epigastric region, discomfort when walking, and occasionally constipation.
2. The second stage of diastasis of the rectus muscles after childbirth is diagnosed when the muscle divergence exceeds 7 cm. At the same time, it is outwardly noticeable that the lateral abdominal muscles are not in good shape.
3. In the third stage of the disease, the size of the fossa between the rectus muscles is more than 10 cm. On this basis, an umbilical or abdominal hernia can be diagnosed in a woman, there is a risk of atrophy of muscle fibers and displacement of internal organs. A strongly sagging abdomen can even limit the patient's ability to work.

How to remove diastasis after childbirth: the main prohibitions

To eliminate this pathology, a woman needs to understand what cannot be done in her position so as not to aggravate her condition even more. First of all, you need to minimize the pressure on the weakened abdominal wall. For this, there is a list of special prohibitions:

1. Do not lift objects that weigh more than 5 - 6 kg. When lifting light objects, bend your elbows rather than stretch them out.
2. To hold or shake the baby, it is necessary to put on a postpartum bandage or tightly pull the stomach with a cloth.
3. When coughing, lightly press your palm on your stomach - this will prevent it from over-inflating.
4. You can get out of bed and lie down on it only in the supine position. To get up from a chair, first focus on your legs and transfer your body weight to one of the buttocks, while pulling in your stomach and turning your body in a semicircle in any direction.
5. Try to maintain an even posture all the time - you can’t slouch and bend strongly in the lower back with diastasis.
6. Sleep on your back or on your side, but never on your stomach, otherwise the pressure on the abdominal muscles will increase significantly.

What to do with diastasis after childbirth

Diastasis is a pathology that, unfortunately, over time, not only does not go away on its own, but also worsens even more. Features of the treatment of this disease are determined by its stage of development. So, diastasis of I and II degrees can be eliminated with the help of special gymnastics aimed at strengthening the anterior abdominal wall and lateral abdominal muscles, due to which the rectus muscles will be brought together. Correction of the III degree of pathology can be carried out exclusively through surgical intervention.

Exercises for diastasis after childbirth

From time to time, with muscle effort, pull in the stomach for 30 seconds, then relax and repeat the exercise again after a few seconds. The frequency of execution during the day can be anything, the main thing is not to train until pain in the abdomen appears.

1. Lie on your back, raise your head slightly and lift your shoulders off the floor, stay in this position for 30 seconds. Repeat 30 times.
2. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Exhale and lift your pelvis off the floor. When you reach the top point, tighten your abs and buttocks. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
3. From the starting position from the previous exercise, lift your straight leg up so that a right angle forms between it and your torso, then return to the previous position. Repeat 10 times for each leg.
4. Press your back against the wall, put your feet at such a distance from it that an angle of about 45 0 forms between them and the wall. Hold a medium-sized ball between your knees. Now begin to slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat 10-20 times.

As you can see, the exercises are very simple, but their implementation will not leave stage I and II diastasis and a trace, provided that you exercise regularly (ideally every day).

Note! The upper abdominal muscles (the usual direct press) cannot be loaded with diastasis - such exercises will only contribute to even greater muscle divergence. It is also contraindicated to separately lift the upper or lower body, so as not to inflate the inner cavity of the abdomen.

The specifics of therapeutic gymnastics

To achieve successful results and eliminate diastasis forever, you need to do it right. First of all, this concerns breathing and proper retraction of the abdomen.

In order for the anterior muscles of the abdominal wall to naturally retract, take the baby in your arms more often - this will give a load to the deep transverse abdominal muscles that encircle the torso like a corset. As for breathing, while doing physical exercises, you need to inhale deeply through the nose, making sure that the lungs fill with air gradually, and the stomach inflates slowly. Exhale through the mouth, imagining how, during the emptying of the lungs, the abdominal muscles rise up like an elevator.

Surgery for diastasis

The solution to the problem of pathological divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles in an operative way is to remove the diastasis hole and strengthen the abdominal wall. In fact, the operation brings both cosmetic and functional positive results. Please note that the surgeon should be contacted in exceptional cases: with stage III diastasis, when there is a risk of developing serious complications in the work of internal organs.

There are two operational ways to eliminate diastasis:

1. Tension plastic surgery of "native" tissues, when the edges of the diastasis are pulled together due to the stitching of muscles and ligaments.
2. Non-stretch plastic using special mesh-shaped prostheses. The prosthesis is attached to the edges of the diastasis so that it brings together its edges and covers the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe pathology. Approximately after 2 months, the mesh of the prosthesis is overgrown with connective tissue and a dense anatomical septum appears between the rectus muscles of the abdominal wall.

The photo shows diastasis after childbirth and after surgery.

Rehabilitation after tension plastic surgery takes a rather long period of time, during which it is impossible to lift objects weighing more than 10 kg. For the first 3 months after surgery, a woman needs to perform a special set of exercises that will provide her abdominal muscles with an adequate load to return to the "pre-pregnant" form.

If the surgeon used a minimally invasive technique during the operation, the patient will be advised to get out of bed on the first day after the procedure. At the same time, it is necessary to wear a bandage, which will be an indispensable part of a woman's wardrobe for another month. The day after the minimally invasive surgery, the patient can go home.

Regular physical activity should be introduced 2 weeks after diastasis surgery. It will be possible to fully plunge into the usual way of life in about 5 weeks.

Diastasis: dispelling myths

About diastasis, as well as about any other disease, there are a large number of misconceptions that can simply confuse a woman and thereby prevent her from thinking rationally when it comes to eliminating the pathology. Here are the most common myths about diastasis that should not be taken seriously:

• the disease provokes irreparable changes in the abdomen and abdominal cavity - it is useless to fight;
• diastasis can be eliminated only by surgery;
• diastasis - the cause of regular bloating and flatulence;
• muscle divergence in diastasis is certainly accompanied by pain;
• muscles affected by diastasis will remain affected forever.

In order not to become a victim of such false truths, all your doubts and concerns should be discussed with a competent specialist.

Statistics say that for about 40 - 45% of women in labor, the problem of diastasis becomes a reality, however, many manage to avoid surgery. If there is an elementary desire and perseverance, pathology can be eliminated with the help of simple physical exercises. At the same time, it is important to remember that diastasis does not have the ability to eliminate itself and it can only be defeated by its active actions.

Diastasis Trainer. Video

A flat stomach “with or without cubes” - almost any person would like to be their owner, but sometimes the dream figure becomes an inaccessible reality for a number of reasons - due to the structure of tissues, changes in the figure after pregnancy and childbirth. One of the common causes of an unaesthetic, bulging abdomen is diastasis of the rectus muscles.

Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is a condition when a discrepancy, a "failure" appears between the rectus abdominal muscles, along the midline, and when straining, an abnormal protrusion appears. Longitudinal muscle fibers move away from each other by several centimeters. The disease should not be confused with an umbilical hernia or a hernia of the white line of the abdomen. It is not so dangerous because of infringement of the internal organs and rather an aesthetic problem (especially for the beautiful half of the population).

Diastasis rectus abdominis causes and symptoms

Most often, the problem worries women, diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles after childbirth appears in almost every fourth woman in labor. Particularly susceptible to excessive stretching of the rectus aponeurosis are miniature mothers of two or more children with a slender constitution. The least risky are women who went in for sports before pregnancy, of a dense physique. Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles in men often appears with an incorrectly selected set of strength exercises, and in young athletes due to coaching mistakes. The constitutional features of children can provoke the appearance of the disease in the absence of an individual approach to the choice of exercises. The so-called dysplastic children have a congenital weakness of the connective tissue, which also consists of a bridge (aponeurosis) between the muscles. Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles in a child: with the existing weakness of the connective tissue, with constant loads leading to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, an abnormal divergence of the rectus superficial abdominal muscles is formed. Young dysplastic athletes can be identified by a number of features:

1. identify the MARSS syndrome - small anomalies of the heart;
2. valgus shape of the lower extremities (X-shaped legs);
3. flat feet with hallux valgus (most of the load falls on the inner edge of the foot);
4. frequent subluxations of the ankles.

In pregnant women, a temporary state of thinning, “softening” of tissues along the midline of the abdomen leads to:

• an increase in intra-abdominal pressure due to a growing uterus;
• bring their contribution hormonal changes, which contribute to greater compliance of the ligamentous apparatus of the pelvic bones (for the safe passage of the fetus through the birth canal).

Diastasis rectus abdominis photo. Classification of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles by type.

Repeated births with diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles lead to an even greater intermuscular defect. Often, women, in an attempt to regain their former forms, resort to hard strength training, but an incorrectly selected set of exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles after childbirth leads to great disappointment - muscle divergence may increase due to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure during exercise. And the annoying bulge of the abdomen will not disappear, because it is impossible to train the aponeurosis (tissue between the muscles) - there are no muscle fibers there and it will not decrease after exercise. exercises.

Symptoms

Usually, the manifestations of the disease are not pronounced, patients are more concerned about sagging of the abdomen, changing the figure. With a significant degree of diastasis, symptoms may appear:

• Pain, discomfort in the abdomen, aggravated by physical exertion;
• Dyspeptic manifestations - constipation, bloating, nausea;
• Splanchoptosis - omission, displacement of the abdominal organs with the corresponding symptoms;
• Discomfort while walking, standing;
• Atrophy of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall.

How to determine diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles

At home, how to check diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles? There is a simple method. In many cases, diastasis is “striking” even without additional examination - right along the midline on the abdomen when coughing, straining, a longitudinal roller is formed, sometimes up to several tens of centimeters long. If the diastasis is not so pronounced, you can conduct a simple test:

1. You need to lie on your back, bending your knees and resting your feet on the floor surface;
2. Raise one hand and place it under your head;
3. Place the fingers of the second hand along the midline of the abdomen at waist level, above and below the navel, slightly pressing them on the abdominal wall;
4. Lift the upper body while twisting the torso;
5. When lifting, determine the appeared diastasis, its width. Usually it is felt as a kind of "failure" of the fingers deep into the abdomen, between the muscles.

By the distance felt by the fingers, one can approximately establish diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, its degree. One finger is taken as 1 cm (approximately). Normally, the width of the aponeurosis between the rectus muscles (they are the most superficial and powerful) is no more than 2 cm.

1 degree diastasis - if a discrepancy of more than 3 cm is detected - up to 7 cm.

2 degree diagnosed with a defect of 7-10 cm.

3rd degree process - the distance between the rectus abdominis muscles is more than 10 cm, a constant protrusion along the midline, a change in the configuration of the abdomen.

In women, a diastasis of 2.5 cm or even more can be determined in the period of several weeks after childbirth. In most cases, the situation changes for the better after a month and a half. To increase the chances of returning to the previous figure, it is necessary to correct nutrition already in the very early postpartum period, start specialized exercises to strengthen the abdominal press (this will also have a beneficial effect on uterine contractility and the prevention of late postpartum hemorrhage).

Consultation with your obstetrician-gynecologist is obligatory!!!

Not all strength exercises on the anterior abdominal wall can improve the situation, on the contrary. The exercise therapy complex for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles excludes exercises with lifting and twisting of the torso, including on the Swedish wall.

What is impossible?

Prohibited exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles video, photo

The “correct” exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles are the Pilates system. Such exercises will help strengthen the deep transverse muscle, which duplicates the stretched aponeurosis. The transverse muscle will help maintain adequate intra-abdominal pressure and keep the abdominal organs in a normal position. Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles in men - the choice of exercises is the same as for women.

Diastasis rectus abdominis a set of exercises

Lying on your back, perform breathing exercises with a delay and some tension on exhalation.

By analogy with Kegel exercises, strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor

Pelvic lifts in the supine position, with the shoulder girdle fixed on the floor

Treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles

Spontaneously, the situation with the appearance of a divergence of the abdominal muscles is not corrected.

For 1-2 degrees of diastasis, it is indicated to carry out adequate training, breathing exercises, adhere to a diet, and then we can expect an improvement in the condition of the muscle wall and a decrease in aesthetic defects. If diastasis has developed as a result of chronic lung diseases, digestive disorders, it is imperative to treat them as the root cause. Taping of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is a modern and convenient auxiliary a method for correcting a defect, applying tapes can be learned quite quickly, the procedure is painless and does not cause inconvenience.

Given that the aponeurosis does not contain muscle fibers, with weakness of the deep muscles (including transverse), with the 3rd degree of diastasis, the logical and practically the only choice to eliminate the defect is surgery.

Operation diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles photo. The results of endoscopic surgery are without scars and scars.

In our center, the most popular and modern operations for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles are performed, endoscopic methods are used in accordance with international standards for the quality of medical care. According to the indications, the treatment is supplemented with abdominoplasty, liposuction - to improve the aesthetic effect of the operation.

As a result of surgical intervention, the patient's appearance changes dramatically for the better, and the traces of the operation are almost invisible.

Depending on the condition of the tissues in the diastasis area, the degree of protrusion and stretching of the abdomen, the weight of the patient, the following can be applied:

✔ Transumbilical video-assisted ventral alloabdominoplasty. The most sparing operation, without scars and scars - through a minimal incision in the umbilical region, only 4 cm long. With the help of a laparoscope and under visual control (the image from the endoscope camera is displayed on the screen, enlarged several times), a graft is placed under the anterior abdominal wall and fixed with sutures to underlying muscles. This graft is made entirely of materials that are inert (non-aggressive) to the body and do not cause allergic or immune reactions. Its mesh structure allows it to quickly assimilate with the patient's tissues. Such an operation may be accompanied by hernioplasty (if there is an umbilical hernia and diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles). There are no recurrences of diastasis, with endoscopic alloabdominoplasty the percentage of complications does not exceed 1%, and the postoperative period is minimized.

✔ Laparoscopic method of suturing diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles using the plication method- a variant of surgical treatment, when the defect of the aponeurosis is eliminated by approaching and stitching the muscles together, while the peritoneum is sutured along with the aponeurosis along the entire length of the diastasis. The operation is minimally invasive - the instruments are inserted into the operating area through two 3-4 cm incisions (near the navel and in the "bikini" area). Depending on the need, it can be supplemented with the use of an inert graft according to the IPOM method. This kind of “patch” is used if the discrepancy between the muscles is large or a hernia of the white line is detected.

Traditional operations, with open access (incision) - surgical aids, in some cases applicable and chosen by the doctor according to the indications (initial state of the tissues and the degree of diastasis, the presence of concomitant pathologies, etc.). But they are now being resorted to less and less, because after such treatment diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, after surgery, cosmetic defects (scars) remain and relapses are likely. And the postoperative period is quite long and painful.

There are several options for such “academic” operations:

• Operation with extraperitoneal access according to Championer. Through an incision in the skin and subcutaneous fat, the surgeon gains access to the rectus muscles and aponeurosis, the muscles are sutured along the edge and pulled towards each other, the excess aponeurosis sinks inward.
• Surgery for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles with intraperitoneal access according to Voskresensky. During the operation, the abdominal cavity is opened and a kind of duplication of the connection between the left and right rectus muscles by applying a double suture, first on the inner surface of the muscles facing the abdominal cavity, and then on the outer. In this case, excess aponeurosis and peritoneum are removed.
• The Kockerling method of surgery is distinguished by the use of a mesh graft for plastic surgery of the anterior abdominal wall with access through a traditional incision.
• The Troitsky method with intraperitoneal access is applicable if diastasis is accompanied by a postoperative hernia of the white line of the abdomen.

With diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, an operation, its price will depend on the chosen method of surgical intervention, the method of anesthesia and the subsequent rehabilitation period (the volume of rehabilitation and resuscitation measures). If you have diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, you can find out the real price for treatment after consulting a surgeon.

Postoperative period

After endoscopic interventions, the patient stays in the hospital for no more than 2 days, and after 14 days he can gradually return to the usual physical activity. Patients report feeling well already on the first day after surgery, because in most cases epidural anesthesia is used, which excludes a difficult recovery period after general anesthesia. A bandage for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is recommended for everyone without fail for a period of 1 month.

In operations with a traditional access, the time for returning to a normal lifestyle is significantly lengthened; lifting weights of more than 10 kilograms and physical exercises for about 3 months are not recommended. The biggest negative point for patients in such cases is quite pronounced pain in the postoperative area in the first days and the appearance of a scar 10 cm or more in length. But these operations in some cases are the best choice in terms of prognosis.

In our clinic, all modern methods of surgical elimination of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles are used. Operations can be supplemented with abdominoplasty, liposuction, which is especially important in the treatment of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles after childbirth.