How To Check For Diastasis Recti 

One of the most-common conditions that I treat as a physical therapist is diastasic recti (DR). This is a condition that affects up to 60% of women either during pregnancy or postpartum. This video will teach you how to test not only if you have a diastasis recti condition, but also to assess the size and severity.
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Recently, my wife and I had the privilege of welcoming our fourth child into our home. My wife is now six weeks postpartum and ridiculously excited to resume working out again (even “ridiculously excited” it is somewhat of an understatement in her case! Let’s say she’s incredibly anxious to get her pre-baby body back!).
However, the physical therapist in me says that we need to check a few things before she jumps back in to working out full-time. The most important of which after having a baby is diastasis recti.
In this video I wanted to quickly discuss what is a diastasis recti, why it’s important to know whether or not you have one, and show you a simple test of how to check yours.
Let's first talk about the anatomy behind this diastasis recti condition to give you a better understanding of why it happens.
There are four muscle groups that collectively make up our “core” or “abs”. The muscle that is stretched the furthest and therefore usually undergoes the most trauma during pregnancy is called the rectus abdominus.
Your rectus abdominus is a skinny vertical muscle that runs from the bottom of your ribs to the top of your pelvis. It is actually two muscle bellies joined by connective tissue in the center. It is the separation of these two muscles and the stretching (and potential tear) of this connective tissue that causes a diastasis recti.
Injury to this area can act as a proverbial “weak link” in your core which can lead to worse problems later on including abdominal pain, hernia, and low back pain (especially given all the lifting and carrying you young mommas are doing).
Basically it’s not a very good thing to have and I hope you never do… however if you do have it it’s important to be aware of it so you can care for it appropriately.
Let’s talk about how to check for it…
*HOW TO CHECK FOR DIASTASIS RECTI*
- Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent and one hand behind your head.
- Slightly engage your rectus abdominus by lifting your head, neck, and shoulders slightly off the ground (doesn’t need to be a full crunch).
[To test the INTEGRITY of the ligament:]
- Place the tips of three fingers vertically just above your bellybutton and gently press down (you should feel the space between your two muscle bellies). You should feel some resistance - like pushing into a balloon that’s inflated.
- Continue to check the integrity of the ligament all the way from your belly button from the top of your pelvis to the bottom of your rib cage. It should consistently give you resistance all the way up and down.
If you do have a diastasis you’ll be able to push your fingers down further into your stomach meeting very little resistance.
[To test the WIDTH of the separation]
- Now turn your fingers horizontal. How many fingers can you push into the valley between your abdominal muscles?
- Check from the top of your pelvis to the bottom of your rib cage. How many fingers can you fit into the valley between your muscles?
- 1-2 fingers is “normal” after a pregnancy; 3 fingers is a sign that you most definitely have a diastasis recti.
If this test is positive I highly encourage you to consult with your medical provider to receive the personal, individualized care you need to resolve this issue. Every woman is different just like every case of diastasis is different; it’s for these reasons that personal care with your primary OB/GYN is recommended.
If you find that your test is positive and a diastasis is present don’t despair! There’s actually a lot that you can do to help heal it up! The key is to activate a muscle called the “transverse abdominus”. This muscle originates on the lowest vertebrae in your back and wraps around both sides to the front of your abs to sit under the rectus abdominus… basically forming a “corset” around your midsection. Activating this muscle and training it in the right way can actually serve to close up that separation and make your abs healthy and functional again.
CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST EXERCISES TO HEAL DIASTASIS RECTI: • Diastasis Recti Exerci...