The impact of exercise therapy and abdominal binding in the management of diastasis recti abdominis in the early post-partum period: a pilot randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To explore the feasibility of two physiotherapy interventions for the management of diastasis recti abdominis (DrA): abdominal binding and targeting trunk exercises.

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was used to compare the effectiveness of exercise therapy and/or abdominal binding to no intervention on thirty-two primiparous women who presented with DrA in the early post-partum period. Feasibility was determined based on study recruitment, compliance, and attrition rates as well as through computation of treatment effect sizes associated with each intervention compared to no intervention. Outcomes included inter-rectus distance measured using ultrasound, body image, pain, urogynecological symptoms, and function measured using questionnaires, and trunk flexion strength and endurance measured using clinical tests.

Results: The recruitment rate was 3 participants/month. Intervention adherence rates were >50% and the attrition rate was 16%. After 6 months, positive effects (Cohen’s d (d) = 0.2–0.5) on body image were observed in both the abdominal binding alone and combination therapy groups. A positive effect on trunk flexion strength (d = 0.7) was observed in the combination therapy group.

Conclusion: The effect sizes suggest that physiotherapy interventions can positively impact body image and trunk flexion strength. While a clinical trial investigating these interventions is feasible, further preliminary investigation is recommended.

KEYWORDS:

• Physiotherapy
• pregnancy
• body image
• abdominal muscles
• diastasis recti

Acknowledgment

The abdominal binders used in this study (Postnatal FitSplintTM) were provided in-kind by Mombod Fitness.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Queen’s University [Senate Advisory Research Committee Grant]; CURA Physical Therapies [Edmonton, Canada]; Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada [365140]. Dr. Keshwani received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [Doctoral Research Award] during the execution of this study.