It Might Not be a “Beer Belly”- Diastasis Recti in Men

Feb 21

When people hear Diastasis Recti, they often think of postpartum women when in truth, those are not the only people affected by this condition. Diastasis Recti or “DR” is defined as the partial or complete separation of the rectus abdominis, or “six-pack” muscles, which meet at the midline of your stomach. This condition is very common during and after pregnancy, due to the fact that the uterus stretches the muscles in the abdomen to accommodate the growing baby. But while DR is quite common during pregnancy and during the postpartum period, it is not limited to pregnancy. A number of factors can contribute to the development of diastasis recti, including:

Age
Weight gain
Body mass index
Lifting weights incorrectly or performing excessive or unsafe abdominal exercises.

This means that the condition is also quite common in men, not just women. Premature babies can even be born with diastasis recti, as their abdominal muscles aren’t fully developed and connected yet. Luckily, in those cases the issue usually corrects itself over time.

Excessive inner-abdominal pressure causes diastasis recti. This is why this condition is typically seen as common amongst women who have gone through pregnancy because the abdominal muscles and connective tissues are stretched out from the expanding uterus. But, excessive inner-abdominal pressure can be caused by other factors too, which is why it is not just a pregnancy or women-related issue. With men, a lot of times the condition is misdiagnosed and chalked up to weight gain and/or alcohol use. While excess weight and obesity can also place stress on abdominal muscles and cause them to separate and weaken, leading to diastasis recti, another common cause of this condition amongst men is improper exercise and dangerous weight-lifting. Men can also be susceptible to this condition if it is in their family history, such as their father or grandfather having had it in the past. Other more extreme causes of diastasis recti in men include excessive alcohol abuse leading to cirrhosis of the liver, and abdominal wall cancer.

Despite how diastasis recti may be caused for either a man or a woman, it is important to know the most common signs or symptoms of this condition so that you can start taking the steps towards getting treatment. For men, the hallmark sign of diastasis recti is a vertical bulge that appears between abdominal walls when men do a crunch or get up from lying or sitting down. Other common symptoms that may be less distinguishable, but can signal abdominal separation, include constipation, lower back pain, urinary incontinence, difficulty breathing, discomfort in body movements, and a weakened core. Symptoms that may be a little more noticeable include lower back pain, poor posture, constipation, and bloating.

Luckily, though, there are ways to treat the abdominal separation that happens with diastasis recti, no matter the cause or if you are a man or woman. Speaking with a specialist is very important since there are many exercises that are advertised as being good for DR but will really just make things worse. Everyone’s body is different, so treatment exercises that work for someone else with this condition might not work the same way for you, so be sure to speak with a medical professional first. The next big question on your mind is likely: Will I need surgery? The short answer, is maybe not! A pelvic floor physical therapist will likely be able to help you to bridge that gap without surgery. The only concern is that it’s important not to wait too long to get help! The sooner you speak with a professional the better your chances are at needing less intervention.

Here at Arancia Physical Therapy, our goal is to help identify and overcome your pelvic dysfunction and or mystery pain so that you can live your best, pain-free lifestyle doing the things that you enjoy most all while avoiding surgery and medications. If you have been diagnosed with diastasis recti or are experiencing any other kind of mystery pain, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here or by giving us a call at 401-602-7006. We look forward to hearing from you so we can help you get back to living your best life!