You may be searching diastasis recti recovery information on Instagram, or postnatal workouts. Maybe a personal trainer, your friend, or a doctor mentioned it to you. Did you hear about positive, evidence-based diastasis recti recovery? Or that surgery is the only option, other than just put up with it?
Let’s set the record straight on diastasis recti recovery. MUTU is proven in clinical trials to improve and heal diastsis recti. Here’s truth bombs and common misconceptions you need to know when it comes to healing diastasis recti and reclaiming your strength and confidence.
Diastasis recti recovery Truth Bomb # 1
Misconception: If I have diastasis recti that means my muscles tore or split.
Truth: Your muscles do not tear with diastasis recti. If there is a tear in the connective tissue this is called a hernia. With diastasis the connective tissue (runs vertically down your midline and holds your rectus muscles together) thins and weakens as the two sides get wider apart. This widening, weakening, and thinning can cause instability of the core structure and function.
Diastasis recti recovery through restorative movement and exercise is possible because there is NOT tearing of the muscles. Rehabbing the muscles and the core system through the right exercise is incredibly effective in healing DR.
Truth Bomb # 2
Misconception: If I have diastasis recti during pregnancy that is bad news.
Truth: Diastasis Recti is actually a normal and natural part of pregnancy. Our bodies are incredibly smart- they were designed to have babies! When a woman gets further along in her pregnancy the body will start to naturally separate the rectus muscles to make room for the growing baby. How cool is it that the body creates more room?! This is so important to understand because it really changes the narrative around diastasis during pregnancy and diastasis recti recovery postpartum. Instead of worrying and obsessing over whether you get DR during pregnancy, you can realize that your body is just doing what it needs to do to create life! How empowering!
More on diastasis recti in pregnancy here.
Diastasis recti recovery Truth Bomb # 3
Misconception: Diastasis Recti can only be fixed through surgery.
Truth: This is simply not true. At one point when DR wasn’t as understood as it is now, it was thought surgery was the only way. There will be some cases where surgery is required to regain function and tension in the linea alba and narrow the gap. But this should be defined by a Pelvic Health Physical Therapist and also undertaken alongside core rehab. For most women, surgery will not be necessary for diastasis recti recovery.
More on surgery for diastasis recti here
Truth Bomb # 4
Misconception: Diastasis Recti is only healed when there is zero separation left.
Truth: Let’s do a very brief anatomy lesson- your rectus muscles are not 1 single muscle. They are two separate muscles. You have a right and a left rectus muscle, held together by connective tissue (see truth bomb #1 ). No one actually has ‘zero separation’ because that is not how we are anatomically. When muscles are functional and connective tissue is firm and strong, it can feel like there is no separation, even with a gap. Having some level of separation is normal and your core and abs can be functional and strong despite the gap.
There is so much more to diastasis recti recovery than just simply the width between rectus muscles. What issues and symptoms do you have? How is the connective tissue down the midline? Someone may have a 2 finger separation with no issues, and full strength and function. Someone else maybe has a small separation with urinary leakage, back pain, and doming exercising.
More on defining a ‘functional diastasis’ here.
Truth Bomb # 5
Misconception: Diastasis Recti is not something that can heal years later.
Truth: Throw out all arbitrary timelines you have been told and believed about your body’s capacity to heal. Your kids may at school, your kids may have kids… It is never too late to work on diastasis recti recovery.
When you give your body the right tools and the right environment, healing can happen. Diastasis recti recovery is not just for newly postpartum women.
More on diastasis recovery years later here.
Truth Bomb # 6
Misconception: Issues like leaking, back pain diastasis, and more are just ‘what happens’ once you have kids.
Truth: You deserve the dignity of a body that works right, that you feel amazing and confident in, without guilt! If you are struggling with DR and symptoms please know that you do not have to just deal with those. Diastasis recti recovery is possible and there is so much that can be done to free you from symptoms that are holding you back.
