The Effects of Conservative Interventions for treating Diastasis Recti Abdominis in Postpartum Women: a Review with Meta-analysis

Abstract

Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) is a common occurrence in postpartum women, and it is unclear what types of nonsurgical interventions are most effective in preventing and/or reducing it. The aim of this review with meta-analysis was to investigate which conservative treatment approaches are the most effective for the management of postpartum DRA. After a thorough search of the PubMed and Scopus databases, we reviewed 14 articles. The literature suggests that abdominal exercise programs are generally effective in treating DRA at various postpartum periods. There is preliminary but promising evidence of the efficacy of electrical stimulation in combination with exercise. In addition, abdominal kinesiotaping can be used in conjunction with other interventions. Limitations of previous research include (a) the use of different measurement methods (palpation, calipers, ultrasound) and sites, (b) the evaluation of treatment effects in different time periods, and (c) the use of a wider range of exercise combinations. Although abdominal exercise is a cornerstone of DRA treatment, the optimal exercise combination is currently unknown due to these limitations.