Suffering from a round stomach: maybe tight abs are to blame? | fit and well
Well, that bowl of chips with a glass of wine and that chocolate bar couldn’t get any better. But sometimes there are other reasons for that round belly. Tightening of the abdominal muscles (diastasis) may also be the cause. Fortunately, there is usually something you can do about it.
Janet (39): “It didn’t bother me at first, but when my belly still looked like I was four months pregnant ten weeks postpartum, I went to the doctor. Then the pelvic specialist ended up in the hospital.”
“There the surgeon found a gap of about ten centimeters between my stomach muscles. This is too big to heal on its own. So I hope to have surgery soon. Until then, the abdominal ligament provides some support and I was able to strengthen the other muscles with exercises. But walking, bending, lifting and standing Still tough and a year later I’m still wearing maternity clothes because my regular clothes are uncomfortable.”
Diastasis can cause complaints, such as loss of strength, back and abdominal pain, pelvic and hip complaints, or even loss of urine and neck pain.
Sietske Wildschut, Center for Extroversion Therapy
a reason
“The so-called diastasis is usually caused by pregnancy or an enlarged abdomen due to excess fat in the abdomen,” says therapist Setke Wildshut of Diastas Treatment Center. “If this requires space in the abdominal wall, the right and left abdominal muscles stretch to create that space. When pressure is applied to the abdominal wall, the enlarged and weakened space bulges into a distended abdomen.”
This in itself is normal and should not cause any problems. However, it does not always recover spontaneously after pregnancy, which may cause complaints. Energy loss, for example. But back pain, pelvic and hip complaints, and abdominal pain also occur, because the abdominal muscles support the back and organs and are part of longer muscle chains. Some people also experience loss of urine, disturbances in bowel function, troubled breathing or even neck and shoulder pain. There are also women who feel unattractive and insecure because of a large flatulence.
Sometimes the surgeon places a mat as a kind of undergarment. As a result, the space between the muscles disappears.
Sietske Wildschut, Center for Extroversion Therapy
Solution
Fortunately, it usually succeeds in flattening the stomach again. Wildschut: “If adipose tissue is the cause, it is also wise to lose some weight, and we can strengthen the abdominal muscles with a customized program of special exercises. In the beginning, a supportive abdominal band can also help with many complaints.”
In the presence of significant deformities, additional umbilical hernias and insufficient recovery after exercises, surgery is possible. Then the surgeon tightens the abdominal muscle from the inside. Sometimes he also puts on a rug, as a kind of undergarment. As a result, the space between the muscles disappears. In this case, the plastic surgeon also removes the excess skin.
by the doctor
Especially if the round belly is accompanied by other complaints, such as pain, weight loss, decreased appetite, or vaginal bleeding, it is wise to see a doctor. After all, sometimes there is a more serious underlying cause. For example, flatulence could be the result of fluid in the abdomen because the lymph nodes are not working properly. Gas formation can occur due to a blockage caused by a tumor in the intestine. A fibroid that grows larger after metastasis also needs attention.
This article was previously published by Libelle NL.
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