The incidence of lumbo-pelvic pain, pelvic floor dysfunction and body image effects in post-natal women with a clinically significant diastasis of the rectus abdominus muscles (DRAM).

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Diastasis recti (also known as abdominal separation or DRAM) is a disorder defined as a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves. In pregnant or post-natal women, the defect is caused by the stretching of the rectus abdominis by the growing uterus and the increased hormones associated with pregnancy that cause flexibility in the body’s tissues. A clinically significant (larger) DRAM is defined as being greater than or equal to three fingers wide. Although these larger DRAMs are treated by physiotherapists at Southern Health, there is limited evidence into the physical/psychological problems suffered by women in association with a larger DRAM. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of back and pelvic pain, incontinence and body image in post-natal women, immediately post birth (incontinence only), six weeks (whether there is a clinically significant DRAM or other problems) and then six months after child birth. The incidence of any dysfunction as mentioned will be compared between women with either a) no DRAM (healthy age-matched women who have never been pregnant); b) a clinically insignificant DRAM (less than three fingers width) and c) a clinically significant DRAM (three fingers or greater wide). The study will also aim to determine the factors associated with back or pelvic pain, incontinence and body image in post-natal women. The findings of this study will inform the development of a randomized, controlled trial of physiotherapy intervention in women at risk of morbidity following DRAM.

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