Physical Therapist for diastasis???

[IronMom]

Not sure if this goes here, it's about exercise so I thought so.

Anyway about my question, I'm not sure what professional would help me with this. I visit the Physical Therapist offic at my gym and the receptionist listens to my concern and goes to talk to the doc and comes back and says, "we have exercises to help with that."

What am I afraid of? Hernia. Doing exercises could definately cause a hernia, my intestines stick out while doing ab exercises so obviously most if not all ab exercises are out. I have spoken with CPTs who gave wrong advice and are NOT the right professional for this issue so I am uncertain if the Physical Therapist is the "right" professional?

I'm doing the stomach vacuum to help strengthen the Transverse Abdominal and I see some results but still I see a protrusion at the belly button so other abdominal exercises seem out of the question. Maybe I'm doing all I can....Maybe no one here knows and I just need to take a leap of faith. I am not one to go to a doc for anything so having any sort of problem is very new to me. TIA

[swindled]

Have you gone to a sports doctor at all? Two of my friends have gotten hernias, and one of them was because of the separation of the abdominal muscles. The friend with the abdominal separation went to a sports doctor and are currently going to physio for it, although surgery may be necessary to repair their actual hernia.

I know you are a mom, was the diastasis from being pregnant?

[IronMom]

Have you gone to a sports doctor at all? Two of my friends have gotten hernias, and one of them was because of the separation of the abdominal muscles. The friend with the abdominal separation went to a sports doctor and are currently going to physio for it, although surgery may be necessary to repair their actual hernia.

I know you are a mom, was the diastasis from being pregnant?

Yeah, I had my baby 9mo ago. I never had this happen with my other pregnancies, I think it was because this baby was posterior.

No, I haven't seen anyone partly because I thought strengthening my transverse would do the trick and while it has definately given me a flat tummy (you'd never know I had a baby), I still have the separation with protrusion.

Since you mention the Sports Doc and friends with this same issue, I will take the que that the sports doc is the "right" professional. Thanks for your post.

[swindled]

Sorry, I didnt directly answer your question, I am bad for that. I just know that after they went to the sports doc, they got a recommendation for a physiotherapist (that way insurance will cover it). With your physical fitness level, I think a sports doctor would likely have a better idea of what exercises you should be doing than a gp, diastasis can get better with the proper exercises, but I think it can take plenty of time. I think a physiotherapist, is likely still a good option to go to, especially if its someone you know and like.