Arranz Martín B1, Torres Lacomba M1, Navarro Brazález B1
1University of Alcalá, Physical Therapy Department, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Background: Diastasis Recti Abdominis (DRA) is the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles at the linea alba greater than 2-2.5 cm. Abdominal exercise after childbirth is recommended for treatment and prevention of DRA, but there is no strong evidence of the effects of some of the exercise modalities in the inter-recti distance (IRD).
Purpose: To describe the variation of IRD using ultrasound imaging in four modalities of abdominal exercise in women after first childbirth.
Methods: Cross-sectional study with twelve primiparous women after normal vaginal one-child delivery. All participants were assessed at 14-15 weeks after delivery and after performing a physical therapy intervention based on pelvic floor and hypopressive abdominal exercises guided by a physiotherapist. Ultrasound imaging was used to measure IRD at three locations (S or supraumbilical, X between S site and xiphoid process and I or infraumbilical) at hook-lying position, during a hypopressive abdominal exercise, during abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM), during a curl-up and during a curl-up with ADIM.
Results: At S site (2.20 (0.82) cm) an hypopressive exercise narrowed the IRD 0.09 (0.51) cm, 0.11 (0.83) during curl-up with ADIM and 0.52 (0.59) during curl-up. At X site (1.57 (0.70) cm) curl-up narrowed IRD 0.31 (0.41) cm but hypopressive exercise increased IRD 0.29 (0.61) cm. At I site hypopressive exercise narrowed IRD 0.25 (0.66).
Conclusion(s): Different abdominal exercises effects in IRD changes depends on DRA level. More studies with larger simple size are needed to determine the effects of abdominal exercises modalities in DRA.
Implications: Real-time ultrasound imaging can be a useful tool to evaluate DRA behavior during dynamic tasks exploring the possibilities as biofeedback in clinical practice.
Keywords: postpartum period, ultrasonography, diastasis recti
Funding acknowledgements: This work was supported by Physical Therapy in Women´s Health Research Group, University of Alcalá (Madrid, Spain)
Purpose: To describe the variation of IRD using ultrasound imaging in four modalities of abdominal exercise in women after first childbirth.
Methods: Cross-sectional study with twelve primiparous women after normal vaginal one-child delivery. All participants were assessed at 14-15 weeks after delivery and after performing a physical therapy intervention based on pelvic floor and hypopressive abdominal exercises guided by a physiotherapist. Ultrasound imaging was used to measure IRD at three locations (S or supraumbilical, X between S site and xiphoid process and I or infraumbilical) at hook-lying position, during a hypopressive abdominal exercise, during abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM), during a curl-up and during a curl-up with ADIM.
Results: At S site (2.20 (0.82) cm) an hypopressive exercise narrowed the IRD 0.09 (0.51) cm, 0.11 (0.83) during curl-up with ADIM and 0.52 (0.59) during curl-up. At X site (1.57 (0.70) cm) curl-up narrowed IRD 0.31 (0.41) cm but hypopressive exercise increased IRD 0.29 (0.61) cm. At I site hypopressive exercise narrowed IRD 0.25 (0.66).
Conclusion(s): Different abdominal exercises effects in IRD changes depends on DRA level. More studies with larger simple size are needed to determine the effects of abdominal exercises modalities in DRA.
Implications: Real-time ultrasound imaging can be a useful tool to evaluate DRA behavior during dynamic tasks exploring the possibilities as biofeedback in clinical practice.
Keywords: postpartum period, ultrasonography, diastasis recti
Funding acknowledgements: This work was supported by Physical Therapy in Women´s Health Research Group, University of Alcalá (Madrid, Spain)
Topic: Women's & men's pelvic health; Sport & sports injuries
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias (Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain)
Ethics committee: Research Ethics Committee
Ethics number: OE 23/2018
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
