Posibilities of postpartum rehabilitation in diastasis of the rectus abdominal muscle

Abstract

Background: Abdominal diastasis is caused by an excessive increase in intra-abdominal pressure in combination with the representation of hormonal changes, or by an increase in muscle stretching. rectus abdominis caused by the expanding uterus. In the event that the intermuscular expansion does not heal by itself after childbirth and thus does not return the abdominal wall to its original state, this problem is primarily solved by a conservative form of therapy - physiotherapy.

Methodology: The presented work was carried out by quantitative research, through a non-standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire was anonymous and contained 18 closed, open and semi-closed questions. We established 4 hypotheses, which we statistically processed and verified with the SPSS Statistics 26 program, the chi-square test and the Mann-Whitney test.

Sample: The research sample consisted of 100 respondents. The criterion for the selection of the sample was intentional and consisted of women diagnosed with diastasis recti of the abdominal muscle. The group was divided into two subcategories of women after natural childbirth and after childbirth by section, which we compared with each other.

Results: From the results, we found that the majority of women who gave birth naturally engaged more in deep stabilization system (HSS) exercises before pregnancy than women who gave birth by section (p=0.005). We found that women who gave birth naturally began to engage in exercises aimed at treating diastasis after childbirth earlier than women who gave birth by section (p=0.009). There was no significant statistical difference for women in the duration of the exercise unit in both observed groups (p=0.106). We found that women who gave birth naturally have the same incidence of complications caused by postpartum diastasis as women who gave birth by section (p=0.246).

Conclusion: Nowadays, more and more women suffer from postpartum diastasis recti. Therefore, rehabilitation is recommended as a prevention before and during pregnancy. Movement therapy in the form of various methods and techniques can have a positive effect on the elimination of diastasis in the subsequent postpartum period.