r/DiastasisRecti

Ich (48) habe eine riesige Rektusdiastase nach 2 Geburten (6j und 7j). Es tut weh und sieht schlimm aus… bin verzweifelt. Muss man es operieren oder hat jemand gute Erfahrung mit Physiotherapie? Meine Lücke ist ziemlich gross (5Finger)… und hab nicht das Gefühl dass mir Physio helfen kann :(
Gibts noch jemand da mit gleichem Problem?

I had a C-section about 2.5 years ago, and I’ve been dealing with a strange and pretty intense symptom that I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced.

Whenever I cough really hard or sneeze, I can get a powerful cramp/spasm deep in the abdominal muscles on my right side. It seems to start lower on my right side and travel upward toward my rib cage. It is definitely not in my pelvis and doesn’t feel like round ligament pain. It feels like the deeper muscles in the right side of my torso suddenly seize up.

Interestingly, during my pregnancy/labor I also had issues specifically on that side. I was induced, and my epidural kept wearing off on my right side. During my C-section, the anesthesia also wore off enough that I could feel what was happening, and I ultimately had to be put under general anesthesia. I have no idea if that could possibly be related, but the fact that everything has involved the same side makes me wonder.

The cramping also seems much more likely to happen when I’m not well hydrated. I had bariatric surgery before my pregnancy, so staying fully hydrated can be difficult because I can’t drink large amounts at once and it’s easy for me to fall behind.

The strangest part is that I’ve figured out one way to prevent it: if I’m lying flat on my stomach when I cough or sneeze, the cramp doesn’t happen. Obviously that’s not exactly practical when a sneeze comes out of nowhere.

I’ve already seen my primary care doctor and a gastroenterologist, but so far we haven’t figured out what’s causing it.

I’ve wondered about diastasis recti or some type of abdominal wall/muscle issue, although I don’t have the obvious vertical abdominal separation that I usually see associated with diastasis.

Has anyone experienced anything similar after a C-section? Particularly a deep one-sided abdominal muscle spasm triggered by coughing or sneezing?

And if you did, what type of doctor or specialist finally helped you? OB/GYN? Pelvic floor physical therapist? General surgeon? Physiatrist/physical medicine doctor? Someone else?

I’d really like to figure out what type of specialist makes the most sense to see next.

I’m a 24-year-old male, currently 5 weeks after laparoscopic TAPP inguinal hernia repair.
My main problem, however, actually started BEFORE the surgery.
The original injury happened while carrying a \~270 kg piano upstairs with one other person. Because of the shape of the piano, I had to lean significantly backwards while carrying it, so my abdominal wall was stretched while under a huge load. I was also wearing a lifting belt tightened extremely hard and bracing as hard as possible.
After this event I developed an inguinal hernia, but also something that has bothered me even more: a diffuse, deep, dull ache/pressure across my lower abdomen and extreme sensitivity to increases in intra-abdominal pressure.
Even relatively small loads can aggravate it. For example, lifting only around 5–6 kg can make my lower abdomen feel pressured/overworked, sometimes with the symptoms becoming worse several hours later or the following morning.
I eventually had the inguinal hernia repaired with TAPP. My surgeon recently examined the repair and found no signs of recurrence. However, 5 weeks after surgery, the same diffuse lower abdominal symptom that existed before surgery is still there and is currently more sensitive than it was pre-op.
Walking actually seems to help me. I’ve gradually managed around 10k steps and recently tried a very light 500 m jog, but the lower abdominal wall still feels unusually sensitive to pressure/load.
I’m starting to wonder whether the original piano incident caused something in addition to the inguinal hernia — for example an abdominal wall/core muscle or aponeurotic injury.

**Has anyone experienced something similar after very heavy lifting — especially diffuse lower abdominal pain/pressure without necessarily having a visible bulge?**
**Did you eventually get a diagnosis (abdominal strain, core muscle injury/athletic pubalgia, rectus-adductor injury, etc.)?**
**Did MRI or dynamic ultrasound show anything?**
**Most importantly, did you recover and eventually regain tolerance to heavy lifting? What kind of rehabilitation helped and how long did it take?**
I’m not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit — I’d mainly like to hear from people who experienced a similar pattern and how their recovery progressed.

Hi

I’m a FTM now 7 months postpartum. My OBGYN and a PFT I saw briefly both thought my level of diastasis recti was mild but ever since I’ve given birth my abdomen has never been the same. In the beginning every time I ate anything I felt like my stomach was going to fall off my body. This sensation has subsided a bit but I still have other symptoms. Despite losing all my pregnancy weight, my stomach bulges a bit. I have a sense that my organs are exposed and it gives me pain to have the weight of the baby or one of my cats step on certain areas of my stomach. I can also feel my heartbeat in my stomach now. I frequently have stomach and back pain. Are these relatable postpartum symptoms to anyone else?

I’m anxious I have an AAA though I would have no risk factors for it. I have intense health anxiety in general so I’m trying to figure out if this is something I should worry about or ignore.

ETA: Out of curiosity I did a self assessment of my diastasis. It seems like there is no gap below my belly button and a one finger gap above my belly button. I feel pretty confident I can accurately assess the situation.

I’m a 38-year-old mother of three, all delivered via C-section. My current stats are 5'6" (167 cm) and 142 lbs (64 kg).
A while back, a lump was found on the left side of my abdomen. It was surgically removed and biopsied (benign). Since then, the left side of my abdomen has been visibly protruding, creating an uneven 'shelf belly' look between my belly button and my C-section scar. The left side is significantly more prominent and feels firm/hard to the touch when I’m standing, but it tends to flatten out when I lie down.
**Here is what I’ve already done:**
Confirmed it is **not** a hernia (via CT scan/imaging).
Confirmed there is **no** diastasis recti.
Tried strict dieting and intense core/TVA exercises, but the bulge remains.
I have received conflicting opinions from doctors: some suggest severe muscle weakness on that side, others suggest internal fibrosis (scar tissue). A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) has been suggested, but it is not an option for me currently—neither financially nor physically.
**I am looking into non-surgical alternatives and would appreciate any experiences or advice on:**

1. **Lymphatic drainage massage with ultrasound:** Is it effective for fibrosis or post-surgical swelling?
2. **Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS):** Can it help with abdominal muscle weakness in this specific case?
3. **Fat freezing (Cryolipolysis):** Is this effective for a firm protrusion that feels more like muscle weakness/fibrosis rather than just fat?
   Has anyone dealt with a firm, lopsided abdominal shelf after C-sections without a hernia? What worked for you? Any guidance would be deeply appreciated

Hi all. I (35 M) was recently diagnosed with diastasis recti and an umbilical hernia. The separation is in my upper abdomen and about 4 cm wide. The umbilical hernia is small, about 1.8cm. I had both confirmed at a doctor's office via abdominal ultrasound.

The reason I'm seeking advice is because surgery to fix it is just out of the question for probably the next few years. My wife and I have a 10 month old son, and she is due to return to work after a year of maternity leave in October. That will leave me as the primary caregiver for our son (I'm medically retired so I don't have to work). The doctors said that recovery from the surgery would take at least three months, and it would be at least four to six weeks before I could safely lift our son. He's heavy, hyper, and needs a lot of physical playtime. My wife can't work and manage his needs simultaneously, so at this point it's up to me to look at managing/fixing my issues.

Hopefully this is where you all can give me some help. My diastasis recti comes from years of chronic constipation and straining in the bathroom. I'm almost sure I've got a pelvic floor issue on top of the diastasis. I'm looking for as many free resources as I can get my hands on about pelvic floor and abdominal exercises that help with both issues. Are there any programs, books, or apps out there that you would recommend for me to look at in order to start strengthening things back up?

Cheers for any advice!

For the ones who have had diastasis recti and went to physical therapy to heal it.. how did it turn out for you? Did it help you? I have diastasis recti from my previous pregnancy (2 finger gap above belly button) and I’m pregnant again. This time around I want to start some type of physical therapy either during my pregnancy or postpartum. I’m a bit more hopeful this time around that my dr will heal a bit. Would love to hear your similar stories

I have gotten really into weight training and fitness the past 8 months. I'm finally at the point where I see visible results and muscle growth. One thing that has not changed much is my DR. I have a 4cm gap that was caused by a major midline surgery to correct a kidney issue. I have tried every physiotherapy and exercise under the sun with no luck on ever closing it. I have definitely strengthened my TV muscles but because it was surgically induced, the doctors don't think it'll close. I'm on the waitlist to see if medical will cover the repair, and while I'm very excited at the thought of it being fixed, I'm sad to have to lose all my weight training progress. Those of you who have had DR surgically repaired, how long did you wait till you went back to weight lifting? Were you scared to do it again? Is there any strange tugging or pulling sensations after?

Hello! I had my first in 2020 and my second in October 2024. I am wanting to start working out and focus on repairing my diastasis recti (which has been here since my first)…do you think there is hope to fixing things, even though it has been 6 years since my first? Any recommendations? I signed up for the Nancy Anderson Ab rehab, but PLEASE let me know what is tried and true.