QuestionHappy New Year! I absolutely LOVE your book and DVD. I am going to tell other mothers and my doctor about your amazing book/DVD.
In your book, you stated that the transverse abdominis originates from the lower ribs and inserts into the linea alba of the recti. So when the TvA contracts or shortens in length, wouldn't that action actually pull the diastasis further apart while compressing the abdomen at the same time? I can see how activating the TvA can pull the 2 recti muscles inward towards the spine, but how does activating the TvA pull the 2 recti towards the midline to close the diastasis? When the TvA is relaxed or not activated, does the diastasis automatically reappear? Please explain. Thanks.
AnswerWow, great questions!
Imagine that you could view that abdomen from above, and you're looking at an oval shape. When the TvA compresses the abdominal wall the entire oval gets smaller, and the width of the midline diminishes too. Contraction of the TvA reduces or eliminates the tensile forces on the linea alba.
In the postnatal period, release of the TvA in body positions where the force of gravity can effect the abdominal wall: standing, some seated positions, side lying and especially the quadruped position, will place tensile stresses on the mid line, and widen the gap.
