What Is Rectus Diastasis?
Rectus diastasis, also known as diastasis recti, is a condition that affects the abdominal muscles. Specifically, it involves the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles—the two muscles that run vertically from the ribs down to the pubic bone. These muscles play a key role in helping you flex your body, like when doing a sit-up.
During significant weight changes or pregnancy, the connective tissue between these muscles, called the linea alba, can become stretched. In pregnancy, for example, the uterus enlarges up to 20 times its normal size, placing considerable pressure on the abdominal wall. Once this connective tissue stretches, it typically does not recoil or return to its original position. Unlike muscle tissue, the linea alba lacks the ability to contract and tighten on its own.
This stretching leads to rectus diastasis—where the sit-up muscles remain separated. The condition can present differently depending on the individual. In women, the separation is usually more pronounced in the lower abdomen. In men, it tends to occur higher up, often due to the way internal fat is stored around the intestines.
Rectus diastasis is very common. Nearly everyone who experiences significant weight change or goes through pregnancy develops some degree of it.
Treatment is available and often involves surgical repair. Rectus diastasis can be corrected on its own, but it is most commonly addressed during a tummy tuck procedure. In such cases, excess skin is removed, and the separated abdominal muscles are tightened with sutures in the midline—creating an internal corset effect that restores the anatomical position of the rectus muscles.
