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

Abstract

[Abstract] Background. These two case reports describe the rehabilitation program of exercises in two male participants aged 19 and 21 with diastasis rectus abdominis. Objective. This paper aims to improve high inter-rectus distance, lumbar pain, abdominal and lumbopelvic function, Due to the lack of literature, this paper looks to provide clinicians with guidance in the rehabilitation of this injury. Methods. Both cases participated in a multimodal program that included lumbopelvic stabilization, strengthening, and hypopressive exercises. Sociodemographic, clinical and muscular information was collected, as well as ultrasound measurements at three points: above the umbilicus, below the umbilicus, and at the midpoint between the xiphoid process and the umbilicus. Specific maneuvers and functional tests were used to assess changes in abdominal muscles. Results. The results showed improvements in both clinical and ultrasound scores. In terms of improvement in inter-rectus distance, case 1 had a reduction of 25% above the umbilicus and case 2 showed a 23.9% improvement in inter-rectus distance at the midpoint. Conclusions. It is concluded that a combination of superficial contractions and isometric exercises may be effective in reducing inter-rectus distance and improving abdominal function, suggesting the need for further research in this area.