Diastasis Recti
Specialized pelvic floor and core physiotherapy to restore abdominal function, manage the effects of abdominal separation, and rebuild the strength and confidence you need for everyday life and beyond.
You’re not imagining this. What you’re experiencing is real.
Why diastasis recti can feel overwhelming
Understanding why abdominal separation affects more than just your core
Diastasis recti — the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles along the midline — is one of the most common yet misunderstood consequences of pregnancy. You may notice a visible bulge or dome along your abdomen when you sit up, lift your baby, or engage your core. You might feel weak in your center, struggle with activities that used to feel effortless, or experience back pain that you can’t resolve with rest alone. And the advice you receive can be contradictory and confusing — some sources say to avoid all crunches forever, others say the gap doesn’t matter, and few explain what actually helps. This uncertainty can leave you feeling frustrated and unsure of what to do with your own body.
What many people in Montreal don’t realize is that diastasis recti is not just about the size of the gap between your abdominal muscles. It’s about the ability of your abdominal wall to generate tension, transfer force, and work in coordination with your pelvic floor, diaphragm, and deep core system. This functional perspective changes everything about how diastasis recti should be assessed and treated. Pelvic floor physiotherapy provides the comprehensive evaluation and evidence-based rehabilitation that addresses the real issue — restoring function, not just measuring a gap. And regardless of how long ago your pregnancy was, meaningful improvement is achievable.
How diastasis recti affects the core and pelvic floor
How abdominal separation impacts your deep core system, pelvic floor function, and daily life
Your core is not a single muscle — it’s an integrated system. The deep core unit includes your transversus abdominis (your deepest abdominal layer), your pelvic floor muscles, your diaphragm, and the multifidus muscles of your spine. These four components work together as a pressure-management system, coordinating automatically with every breath, every movement, and every effort you make. When diastasis recti develops, the connective tissue between your rectus abdominis muscles (the linea alba) stretches and loses its ability to effectively transfer tension across your midline. This disrupts the coordination of your entire deep core system.
The consequences extend far beyond the visible separation. Your pelvic floor may compensate for the reduced abdominal support by working harder — leading to tension, heaviness, or even prolapse symptoms. Your lower back may take on additional load, creating persistent pain. Your ability to manage intra-abdominal pressure during lifting, exercising, or carrying your baby may be compromised, contributing to leaking, doming, or a feeling of instability. And your breathing patterns may shift in ways that perpetuate the dysfunction. These effects are interconnected — which is why effective diastasis recti rehabilitation must address the entire deep core system, not just the abdominal gap. A pelvic-floor-centered approach ensures that your core, pelvic floor, breath, and movement patterns are all rehabilitated together.
Why physiotherapy can help with diastasis recti
Physiotherapy does not replace surgical consultation for severe cases. But for the vast majority of people with diastasis recti, evidence-based physiotherapy is the first-line treatment — and it is remarkably effective. The key is moving beyond gap measurement to functional rehabilitation of the entire core system. Here’s how pelvic floor physiotherapy supports your recovery.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy focuses on:
- Deep core reactivation and coordination — Targeted assessment and retraining of the transversus abdominis, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and multifidus to restore the coordinated pressure management that diastasis recti disrupts, rebuilding your core from the inside out.
- Tension transfer and functional strengthening — Progressive exercises designed to improve the ability of your linea alba to transfer force across your midline, moving beyond basic activation to functional strength that supports lifting, carrying, exercising, and daily demands.
- Pressure management and movement strategies — Education and training in how to manage intra-abdominal pressure during activities that challenge your core, reducing doming, compensatory patterns, and the risk of symptom recurrence during exercise and daily life.
- Pelvic floor integration — Addressing the pelvic floor dysfunction that frequently accompanies diastasis recti — including leaking, heaviness, and prolapse symptoms — as part of a comprehensive approach that recognizes the core and pelvic floor as inseparable systems.
How diastasis recti care works at Nuvo Physio
Condition-first care that evolves with you.
Care starts with a comprehensive assessment of your abdominal wall, pelvic floor, breathing patterns, and overall function. We evaluate not just the width and depth of your diastasis, but the tension quality of your linea alba, the coordination of your deep core muscles, and how your whole system functions during real-world movements — then build a progressive plan that takes you from initial reactivation to full functional recovery.
Your care may involve:
- Specialized Pelvic Physiotherapy — Evidence-based diastasis recti rehabilitation including comprehensive abdominal wall assessment, deep core reactivation, progressive functional strengthening, pelvic floor coordination training, and return-to-exercise guidance.
- Collaborative Team Care — At Nuvo, we don’t just assign a therapist; we assign a team. We match you with the most appropriate clinician(s) based on your current phase of care — whether you need initial core reactivation and assessment or advanced functional strengthening and return to sport — to ensure the best fit for your recovery.
- Education and Guidance — Tools and support to continue your recovery between visits, including home exercise progressions, pressure management strategies for daily activities, safe lifting and carrying techniques, and evidence-based guidance on returning to exercise and sport.
- Long-term support — Sustainable core function, not just quick fixes. We progress your rehabilitation through clear phases — from activation to strengthening to functional integration — and adjust the care team as your needs evolve from early postpartum recovery to full return to activity.
Common diastasis recti symptoms we support
Diastasis recti affects core function in multiple ways that interact with each other. We provide specialized care for the full range of symptoms associated with abdominal separation. If you recognize yourself in any of these, we can help.
- Abdominal doming or bulging — Visible protrusion along the midline when sitting up, lifting, or engaging core muscles, indicating reduced tension transfer across the linea alba.
- Core weakness and instability — Difficulty with lifting, carrying, or activities that require abdominal engagement, with a sense of having no center of support.
- Lower back pain — Persistent back pain resulting from inadequate anterior core support, forcing the back muscles to compensate for weakened abdominal function.
- Pelvic floor symptoms — Leaking, heaviness, or prolapse symptoms that develop alongside or because of compromised deep core coordination.
- Bladder leaking with activity — Stress incontinence during exercise, coughing, or lifting that relates to the disrupted pressure management of a weakened core system.
- Difficulty returning to exercise — Feeling unable to safely return to fitness activities, running, or sport due to core weakness, doming, or fear of worsening the separation.
- Postpartum body confidence concerns — Frustration with abdominal appearance, function, or the sense that your body hasn’t recovered from pregnancy.
What to expect when you start care
- “Tell us what you’re feeling” — Answer a few guided questions about your abdominal symptoms, core function, pregnancy history, and how diastasis recti is affecting your daily life and activity level.
- “Get the right support” — We use your answers to guide the next steps and match you with the clinician best suited to your specific core rehabilitation and pelvic floor needs.
- “Begin care at your pace” — Treatment is shaped around your comfort and goals. Whether you’re newly postpartum or years past your pregnancy, we meet you where you are and progress at the pace that’s right for your body.
