Why Do I Look Pregnant?

View all conditions and services

Do you still have a poochy belly despite exercising and eating well? You could have a condition called Diastasis Recti Abdominus, or DRA. DRA is caused by an increase in abdominal pressure and occurs when the rectus abdominus, the abdominal muscle that runs down the center of your stomach, separates.

Men, women, and children can all develop DRA, since conditions such as obesity and chronic constipation can cause an increase in abdominal pressure. People who have a history of abdominal surgeries across the midline are also at risk for DRA. However, DRA is most common in women who are pregnant or postpartum. Almost all pregnant women will have some kind of separation of their rectus abdominus muscle during pregnancy. Most separation resolves on its own after delivery, but approximately 33 percent of women still have DRA six months after giving birth.

How to Tell if You Have DRA

To see if you have DRA, simply lie down with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hand on your stomach so that your fingertips are pointing downward into your belly button. Lift your head and neck of the floor and see if you feel a space that you can sink your fingers into. Repeat this above and below the belly button. If you can sink at least two or three fingers into this space, DRA is present. If you do have diastasis recti, therapy is important to prevent future injuries such as low back pain.

Many websites and articles claim that you can do one exercise every day to fix your “mummy tummy,” but no one magic exercise can correct DRA; minimizing or healing DRA requires a multifaceted approach. You can’t strengthen only the abdominals and expect a “cure” if you aren’t properly performing other everyday tasks such as lifting, walking, breathing, sitting, eating, standing, carrying children, squatting, and exercising. Similarly, you are not limited to certain types of exercises because you have DRA as long as you are performing helpful exercises correctly and are strong enough to do so without increasing abdominal pressure even more.

If you have a poochy belly and suspect you have DRA, call us at (804) 764-1000 or click here to request an appointment. Your evaluation with a Sheltering Arms physical therapist will not only include an assessment of your abdominal muscles, but we will also assess your posture, gait, body mechanics, breathing, and diet as well as an evaluation of your back, hip, pelvic floor, and leg strength. Treatment will include a customized exercise plan to address your specific problems and lifestyle changes that will improve all of these areas.

Share This Post:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
RehaBlog

More Posts

Backpack Safety

Backpacks are a convenient way for students to carry around their schoolbooks and supplies throughout the day, but using them incorrectly can lead to serious muscle and joint injuries. Carrying a heavy load can strain the shoulders, back, and neck. As a result, the body tries to compensate by leaning forward or sideways, which can lead to misalignment of the spine and weakening of muscles.

Managing and Preventing Incontinence with Physical Therapy

More than 25 million adult Americans suffer from incontinence. Men and women are often embarrassed to seek treatment for loss of bladder or bowel control. Urinary and fecal incontinence can cause low self-esteem, create social isolation, and impair quality of life. Incontinence is the lack of voluntary control over urination or defecation. There are two major types of incontinence and they are treated differently.

Reduce Pain With These 5 Exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, approximately 14 million people in the United States have symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Over time, the cartilage on the bones that form our knees begins to wear away; this causes inflammation, which we refer to as osteoarthritis. As the disease progresses, it can affect surrounding muscle, tendon, and ligaments, therefore, contributing to significant pain and dysfunction.

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Spinal Cord Injury: Innovative Upper Extremity Weight-Bearing Recovery

When you think of body weight support systems in physical rehab, walking probably comes to mind first. But did you know this technology can also transform arm, shoulder, and core recovery after a spinal cord injury? This high-intensity training helps build upper body strength, manage spasticity, improve posture, and boost overall endurance! Learn how we use advanced body weight support technology at Sheltering Arms Institute to help patients safely practice arm weight-bearing and how innovative technology is changing SCI therapy.

How Speech Therapy Can Help Your Cognition

After a stroke or brain injury, everyday thinking skills like memory, attention, and planning can feel overwhelming. Because these skills directly support how we communicate, SLPs use targeted strategies to help patients regain confidence and daily independence. Learn how cognitive-communication therapy can help.

View All Posts

Start your Journey

Learn more about Sheltering Arms Institute

Contact a specialist at Sheltering Arms Institute to learn more about how you can gain more freedom in your everyday life.