Effect of Kinesiotaping on Diastasis Recti in Post-Partum Women

Abstract

Background: Diastasis recti is a separation of rectus abdominis muscles in the midline at the linea alba. Diastasis recti may occur in pregnancy as a result of hormonal effects on the connective tissue and the biomechanical changes of pregnancy.The kinesio taping results shows increased fluid flow through an injured area, better control over muscle contractions, reduced pain, and ultimately faster healing. Methodology: Permission was taken from institutional ethical committee. Subjects were selected by convenient sampling method. Patients were evaluated pre and post for diastasis recti using finger-width test and for disability assessed by using modified oswestry disability index. Result: The analyzed data showed that it was not a normal distribution using shapro -Wilk test hence Non parametric test-Wilcoxon sign rank test was performed to analyze the data within the groups. Diastasis recti of group A above umbilicus level pre-intervention mean was 3.040+0.4643 and post-intervention mean was 0.2350+0.3986. At umbilicus level pre-intervention mean was 3.100+0.3482 and post-intervention mean was 0.2950+0.4026and below umbilicus level pre-intervention mean was 2.435+0.4802 and post-intervention mean was 0.035+0.1466. In group B above umbilicus level pre-intervention mean was 2.965+0.5088 and post-intervention mean was 0.365+0.4542. At umbilicus level pre-intervention mean was 3.215+0.4988 and post-intervention mean was 0.4100+0.4626 and below umbilicus level pre-intervention mean was 2.115+0.5461 and post-intervention mean was 0.1350+0.3397. Comparison between the groups was done using Mann-Whitney U Test above umbilicus p value is 0.0059 which is very significant, at umbilicus p value is 0.9072 which is not significant, below umbilicus p value is 0.1124 which is not significant. Conclusion: Our study shows that kinesio taping with exercise shows greater effect on diastasis recti than only exercises in post-partum women.