Diastasis Recti Abdominis

This study investigates the relationship between diastasis recti abdominis and spinal curvature in postpartum women using non-invasive assessment methods.

This clinical trial aims to find out whether stone needles therapy can effectively assist in the treatment of maternal diastasis rectus abdominis (DRA) based on the Belt channel theory, it will also validate whether the Ben-Tovim Walker body attitude questionnaire (BAQ) can be used as a tool to measure body image satisfaction in Chinese patients with postpartum DRA. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can stone needles therapy promote the recovery of maternal DRA? Whether the Chinese version of the Body attitude questionnaire (BAQ-C) can be used as a body image satisfaction measurement tool for patients with postpartum DRA. The researchers will add stone needles therapy to neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and massage therapy to see if stone needles therapy can promote the recovery of postpartum DRA.

Diastasis recti abdominis is a pathology that appears in a high percentage of women during the postpartum period. However, there is little evidence about its treatment. The present protocol aims to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency as an alternative for the treatment of abdominal diastasis along with abdominal exercises compared to the only intervention through abdominal exercise. An aleatory clinical testing will be conducted where 44 women diagnosed with diastasis recti abdominis in the postpartum period will be recruited. A common exercise protocol will be applied for two groups of participants, and both of them will have to be able to carry out the activities autonomously at home. In addition, control sessions will be held weekly for both groups where one of the groups, the control group (n=22), will receive radiofrequency therapy with the machine in athermic mode, while the other group, the experimental group (n=22), will receive a weekly session under the established diathermy protocol. The sessions will last 30 minutes and will take place for 10 consecutive weeks. Three variables will be evaluated: the width of the diastasis measured in centimeters, life quality measured using the Short form (36) questionnaire, and the perception of the pain measured with the visual analogue scale. Three evaluations will be done: at the beginning of the study, after ten weeks and three months later.