Challenges

Patients are facing many challenges in finding the support they need:

Outdated beliefs:

‘This is just what happens after childbirth’

‘Its a cosmetic issues and wanting it resolved is vanity.’

‘It doesn’t hurt’

‘You just need to exercise’

‘Once you lose the weight you will bounce back’

Societal Expectations

The symptoms can worsen over time, with patients adapting to each new restriction to their life by manging their life around it.

Mothers are a large group of DR sufferers. Growing families come with their own life adjustments. It is easy to count changes in body function as one of those adjustments.

Surgical treatment is often done by plastic surgeons as part of a ‘tummy tuck’. Cosmetic surgery is often considered ‘unnecessary’.

Limitations in accessing diagnosis and treatment

GP knowledge of the condition, and its consequences, is limited and inconsistent.

Information available online is often there to sell a service.

Symptoms are treated separately, by separate specialists.

The damage within the body lies in the fascia which is not well researched.

The symptoms and consequences of diastasis recti are not well researched, but the condition is associated with impacts across the body.

There are a lot of other conditions that can cause non-descript abdominal pain.

Diastasis Recti is so common among certain populations that its presence on a CT scan is considered unremarkable and only commented on if specifically requested.

It is not considered to be a ‘life threatening’ condition, whereas belly button hernias can result in strangulated intestines which is life threatening. Often the hernia is treated without resolving the separation.