Effectiveness of physiotherapy techniques for treating diastasis abdominis: A narrative systematic review

Introduction: The body undergoes anatomical and physiological changes during pregnancy to support fetal development. One significant musculoskeletal change is abdominal diastasis (AD), which involves the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles, causing lumbopelvic stability issues. Proper evaluation and classification of AD are essential for its treatment. Some of the issues are instability, potentially leading to abdominal hernias, lower back pain, poor posture, deficiencies in the pelvic area, and loss of strength. The surgical technique of reconstruction of the linea alba is the standard medical treatment for AD. However, different treatments could be effective in controlling symptoms, like some physiotherapy interventions, and could enhance the treatment results. Objectives: To identify and assess the effectiveness of physiotherapy techniques for treating AD in postpartum women, determining which treatment best reduces the inter-recti distance. Materials and methods: A narrative systematic review was conducted. The search was carried out in databases such as PEDro, PubMed, ELSEVIER, and EBSCO, and 62 articles were selected. After removing duplicates, 33 articles were included, which were published between 2017 and 2024 in Spanish and English. Studies that fulfilled our criteria included the use of exercises and/or deep core stability, muscle strengthening, deep core stability, kinesiotape, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and hypopressive techniques. Results: the most effective treatments for AD are abdominal exercises, muscle strengthening, and deep core stability. Conclusions: This narrative review can conclude that the most effective physiotherapy treatment for AD is exercise and/or core stability, which might be an effective adjunct treatment to usual care.