Causes, symptoms, exercises for diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles

Causes, symptoms, exercises for diastasis recti of the abdominal muscles

Diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is the separation of individual fibers of their aponeurosis - a strong dense connective tissue membrane that covers each of these muscles from all sides. This nosology is not critical, but causes physiological discomfort, and can also provoke the development of hernias.

Anatomical bases of pathology, its causes

Treatment of diastasis in women and men is one of the problems of modern abdominal surgery.

The front wall of the abdomen consists of separate anatomical structures, including the rectus abdominis muscles. These are two muscle fibers that pass from top to bottom. Each muscle is surrounded by an aponeurosis - a dense connective tissue "case". Individual fibers of neighboring aponeuroses are densely intertwined, thus forming the white line of the abdomen - a cord that runs along the midline of the body.

Individual fibers of the white line of the abdomen can weaken, stretch and diverge. This difference is called diastasis of rectus abdominis muscles. Abdominal press with diastasis is weakened.

Women suffer more often than men - diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles is often detected during pregnancy or after cesarean section (especially repeated).

Reasons for the formation of pathology during pregnancy:

the uterus with the fetus presses on the front abdominal wall, stretching it;
during pregnancy, hormones affect the connective tissue - it becomes more "loose" and pliable, this process also applies to the connective tissue from which the aponeurosis of the rectus abdominis muscles is "made up". Therefore, the problem of how to get rid of diastasis recti of the abdominal muscles after childbirth remains relevant.

During caesarean section, the integrity of the aponeurosis is violated - it becomes more pliable.

Universal causes of diastasis in men and women:

obesity;
rapid weight loss (for example, when following a strict diet);
pronounced whooping cough with chronic nosologies of the respiratory system;
increased physical exertion (especially carrying heavy objects);
regular constipation;
dysplasia (improper development) of connective tissue.

Clinical picture

Depending on the expression of signs of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, three degrees are distinguished:

initial – diastasis does not exceed 7 cm;
average – diastasis is from 7 to 10 cm;
expressed - the difference is more than 10 cm.

How to treat diastasis in men and women depends on the degree of expression of the pathology.

Symptoms at the initial stage of diastasis:

insignificant pains under the spoon;
unexpressed nausea;
sensation of discomfort in the front abdominal wall while walking.

Symptoms with an average degree of diastasis:

sagging of the front abdominal wall;
protrusion, which is visualized in the middle of the front abdominal wall, in the lying position - a characteristic depression in it.

Symptoms with a pronounced degree of diastasis:

significant cosmetic defect;
fasten;
stomach pains;
shortness of breath.

With a pronounced degree, hernias of the white line of the abdomen appear.

Diagnostics

How to determine the degree of diastasis in children and adults? The patient lies down on a hard surface, raising his head, looking at his own stomach - in this position, with diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, a characteristic ridge appears in the middle of it.

If the patient is severely obese, when the abdominal muscles are strained, a deepening between the rectus muscles is visualized.

More accurate data on the change from the side of soft tissues in diastasis of rectus abdominis muscles can be obtained with the help of computer tomography.

Treatment of diastasis in women and men

Diastasis of rectus abdominis muscles is treated with conservative and operative methods.

Pathology of the 1st degree in women after childbirth is treated conservatively. Recommended:

avoidance of straining the abdominal press - you should not raise your legs while lying down, carry heavy objects;
wearing a bandage. It should be dosed, because the bandage itself helps to weaken the front abdominal wall;
proper nutrition - which prevents the development of constipation, which can increase the degree of expression of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles;
abdominal wall massage.

On the pages of our website https://dobrobut.com you can find out whether exercises are recommended for diastasis recti of the abdominal muscles.

Surgical correction of pathology is indicated for:

2nd and 3rd degree of development of diastasis of rectus abdominis muscles;
steady progression of the disease;
lack of effectiveness of conservative therapy.

During the operation:

suture of aponeurosis in case of diastasis. Many techniques of such suturing have been developed - the choice of technique depends on the localization and degree of expression of diastasis;
strengthening of the white line of the abdomen with the help of special hypoallergenic mesh implants.

Lately, minimally invasive techniques have been used - using laparoscopic techniques.

If a hernia of the white line of the abdomen appears against the background of diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscles, it must be surgically removed.