Julie Tupler
Tupler Technique, USA
Title: Making diastasis recti smaller during pregnancy can prevent a C-section
Biography
Biography: Julie Tupler
Abstract
Since it is common for diastasis recti (separation of the outermost abdominal muscles) to go undiagnosed by the medical professionals, patients may seek out medical treatment for the musculoskeletal or neuromuscular side effects they may be experiencing from diastasis recti. Side effects include low back pain, GI problems (bloating or constipation), pelvic floor dysfunction and abdominal hernias. Because of the lack of education and scarcity of research regarding the effects of diastasis on the body as well as treatment of diastasis recti, a common protocol for medical professionals does not exist. It is therefore important for midwives to check their patients for a diastasis as part of their medical evaluation and use the Tupler Technique® as part of their treatment plan to support them in their pregnancy and birth. The result shows, a smaller diastasis to prevent a C-section. In the article, Diastasis Recti Abdominis: “A survey of women’s health specialists for current physical therapy clinical practice for postpartum women” in the Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy, written in 2012, it states physical therapy has been identified in research as the chosen conservative treatment for DRA-but the specifics of PT treatment are not well defined. In this article when PT's were asked which therapeutic exercise technique they used, 29.4% of the therapists interviewed stated they used the Tupler Technique® to treat diastasis recti. The Tupler Technique® is the only research and evidenced based program that can make a diastasis 55% smaller in six weeks after pregnancy. During pregnancy women can still make their diastasis smaller doing the Tupler Technique® and this is important to keep the cervix lined up with the vaginal canal for a vaginal birth. The Tupler Technique® makes a diastasis smaller by healing connective tissue. The program heals connective tissue in three ways: (1) Positioning the muscles and connective tissue; (2) Protecting the connective tissue from getting stretched in a forwards or sideways direction; (3) Strengthening both the abdominal muscles and connective tissue with the Tupler Technique® Exercises. The 4 steps of the Tupler Technique® Program are: (1) Tupler Technique® Exercises; (2) Approximating the muscles and connective tissue with the Diastasis Rehab Splint® and Together Tape™; (3) Developing transverse muscle awareness with activities of daily living; (4) Getting up and down correctly from a back lying position to seat position and a seated to standing position. Diastasis is a medical condition that has been ignored by the medical community and a condition that only gets worse with each pregnancy and with age. Diastasis Recti needs to be taken seriously by the medical community.