Diastasis Recti: what is it and how can we heal from it?

By Sally Parkes BSc

Our abdominal core comprises several muscle groups: the deepest being the transverse abdominus and pelvic floor diaphragm; the next layer is the internal and external obliques, the latter adjoin to the rectus abdominus. We also have the more superficial (in anatomical terms meaning closer to the surface) layer of the pelvic floor to consider. Other important muscles include the gluteal muscles, psoas, quadratus lumborum and the multifidus muscle groups. This is because these skeletal muscle groups, when the core is healthy, should all work together to support the spine and pelvis as well as our internal organs. However, when a woman is postnatal, it is not unusual for there to be an imbalance of these groups, which can sometimes lead to a separation of the rectus abdominus muscle fibres in particular, known as a Diastasis Recti. Literally translated this means: Diastasis (separation), Recti (plural for rectus).

What actually is it?

An over-stretching of vertical line of fascia that sits in the centre of the rectus abdominus, the linea alba, leading the muscle fibres of the rectus abdominus being more separated than they once were. A 2.7cm-width gap or wider is considered problematic by the medical industry although a smaller gap, say 2cm wide, can also create issues and lead to, for example, lower back pain and over-tight supporting muscle groups (as they tend to ‘pick up the slack’ for the weakness this gap can create). Please note though, that although this is considered a ‘gap’ it is only of the muscle tissue, and the layers of fascia still remain in place; they are simply more stretched than normal. So it is not as scary as it sounds!