Diastasis recti: non-surgical repair

Diastasis recti is a widening and thinning of the connective tissue between the abdominal muscles. It can follow pregnancy, changes in body load, or repeated pressure through the abdomen. Treatment aims to improve tension, control, and function across the trunk; a visible gap is only one part of the assessment.

A physiotherapist may observe how you breathe, roll, lift, cough, and activate the deep abdominal and pelvic muscles. Symptoms can include doming along the midline, a feeling of weakness, back discomfort, or difficulty managing pressure. These symptoms deserve an individual plan rather than a generic exercise list.

Start with comfortable breathing and gentle activation while keeping the ribs and pelvis aligned. Progress slowly to movements such as walking, sit-to-stand, and controlled lifting. Exhale during effort if that helps you avoid breath-holding or abdominal bulging. Stop an exercise that causes pain, marked doming, leaking, or a sense of pelvic pressure.

A tailored [Postnatal Physiotherapy](/treatments/pelvic-floor-and-rehabilitation/postnatal-physiotherapy/) assessment can match exercises to your stage of recovery, symptoms, and daily demands. Improvement is often measured by easier movement and better load control, not by a finger-width measurement alone.

Arrange a clinical assessment if the bulge is painful, firm, rapidly changing, or associated with vomiting, severe abdominal pain, or difficulty passing stool or gas. Seek prompt care for new weakness, numbness, faintness, or breathing difficulty. Persistent pain or functional limitation also warrants review, even when the gap itself feels small.

Ask: Could this be diastasis recti, a hernia, or another problem? Which movements should I modify now? How will we track function and pressure control? When can I progress lifting, running, or abdominal exercise?