Exercises to treat diastasis rectus abdominis and improve abdominal function: Two case reports

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Physical Therapy
• Abdominal Rehabilitation

Background:

• Presents two case reports on the exercise-based rehabilitation program for diastasis recti abdominis in young males.
• Highlights the limited existing literature, emphasizing the need for clinical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve inter-rectus distance, reduce lumbar pain, and enhance abdominal and lumbopelvic function.
• To offer clinicians evidence-based guidance for managing diastasis recti abdominis.

Main Methods:

• Employed a multimodal rehabilitation program including lumbopelvic stabilization, strengthening, and hypopressive exercises.
• Collected sociodemographic, clinical, and muscular data, alongside ultrasound measurements at three abdominal locations.
• Assessed abdominal muscle changes using specific maneuvers and functional tests.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated significant improvements in both clinical and ultrasound-assessed scores for diastasis recti abdominis.
• Reported a 25% reduction in inter-rectus distance above the umbilicus in Case 1 and a 23.9% improvement at the midpoint in Case 2.

Conclusions:

• A combined approach of superficial contractions and isometric exercises appears effective for reducing inter-rectus distance.
• Suggests this combined exercise strategy can improve abdominal function, warranting further research.