In this 3 part series, I'm going to be covering a complicated subject that effects many people; Diastasis Recti.
What is Diastasis Recti? Essentially this is a herniation of the Linea Alba (the facial separation of the right and left rectus abdominis muscles) and a bulge will become visible when pressure in the abdomen increases. Often most noteable when laying down your your back and flexing the upper body part way up from that position.
Why does it occur? This occurs because of dysfunction of the core and an inability to handle intraabdominal pressures. By core I'm referring to the diaphragm, the pelvic floor, and the muscles that make up the cylinder between those two structures.
This is why so many women post pregnancy deal with this issue. Their musculature is slowly stretched to the max over the course of 9 months, and in a matter of hours, the baby comes and the body is left with that cavity. Although the soft tissue will recoil in a relatively short period of time, the strength and coordination of those muscles to work properly in the context of breathing and bracing are often lost.
The big focus on recovery should be restoring coordination and function of the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and the outer rim of your core cylinder.
This first video starts with that first section. Breathing and bracing.
The Diaphragm was rendered useless for the last several months of pregnancy as it was forced up by the baby. When functioning properly, the diaphragm will pressurize the abdominal cavity during normal breathing. When relaxed, this results in the belly expanding (belly breathing) and should be a 360 degree expansion. In the presence of a solid core brace, that same mechanism will pressurize the abdominal cavity which aids in stabilzing the lumbar spine and pelvis.
In a healthy system, the pelvic floor can resist those pressures without leaking urine or developing hemorrhoids. Also, the cylinder of muscles (obliques, transverse abdominis, and lumbar multifidii) can maintain their integrity and structure without causing a separation in the rectus abdominis.
This all starts with an understanding what a "Proper Breathing Pattern" means, and how to develop a solid core brace without further progressing the dysfunction.