09/13/2023
DRA is a seperation of the abdominal muscles. Normally, these muscles are held together by the linea alba, a band of connective tissue that helps join the two sides of the abdominal muscles. But with increased pressure on the linea alba this tissue can thin out and stretch, leading to the abominal muscle seperation.
Pregnancy is the most common cause of DRA. In fact, most pregnant people in their 3rd trimester have some separation of the recti muscles as it is a natural adaptation of the body caused by the growing baby.
So...if it's normal during pregnancy, whats the big deal? Let's take a step back first before I answer that. You first need to understand that the linea alba is part of the core canister. The rest of the canister is made up of the diaphraghm, the pelvic floor, and the deep abdominal and spinal muscles. These components work together to control presure in the abdomen. SO...a widening of the DRA that does not return to a "normal" distance by 8ish weeks post partum can be a sign of difficulty creating tension in the linea alba. Tension in the linea alba is needed to help the core canister function properly. Without a properly functioning core canister, we can see symptoms such as incontinence, pelvic pain, prolapse, painful in*******se and tampon use.
DRA is not something that you need to or should live with, and treatment is much more involved than doing a generic workout plan that you find online (trust me, I fell for that too and got no where and didn't know why). If you are ready to learn more about how I can help with your DRA, please send me a message here or email me directly at allison@strideptw.com.
