DID YOU KNOW? by Laura Ham, Specialist Women’s Health Physio at Parsons Green, 21st May 2019.
- Diastasis Rectus Abdominus (DRA or RAD) refers to excessive prolonged widening of the mid-line abdominal connective tissue, called the linea alba.
- Everyone, including women who have not had a baby, have some degree of separation of the linea alba. This is a normal anatomical feature of the body, that becomes further affected by the necessary stretching of the abdominal tissues during pregnancy.
- Risk factors for DRA are thought to include multiple pregnancies, heavy or poor lifting techniques (e.g breath hold) Â genetic predisposition, chronic straining (including coughing, vomiting and constipation), and excessive abdominal loading with exercise.
- When we assess DRA, we are looking not only at the width, but also the depth of the separation.
- A women’s health physiotherapist is the perfect person to assess and create a management plan regarding diastasis.
Everyone’s tummy is different and thus a unique treatment plan is required for each Mummy.
