Background: Diastasis rectus abdominis (DRA) is a separation of the rectus abdominis during and after pregnancy. Physiotherapy is the first choice of intervention but it is unclear which type of training is the most effective.  Purpose: The aim of the study was twofold. The aim of the first part was to evaluate the effects of training the rectus abdominis in women with DRA postpartum. The aim of the second part was to describe how these women experienced this training program.  Method: Three women were included in the study. Firstly a single subject experimental design with A-B design was implemented. Inter-recti distance (IRD), activity impairment, muscle strength and endurance, pain and aesthetics was measured. Secondly a qualitative design was carried out to describe the participants' experiences. It was implemented with interviews analyzed with qualitative content analysis.  Results: Two of the participants got significantly decreased IRD. One of the participants got significantly improved in the activity impairment ´getting up from lying down with and without a weight´. There was no improvement in the other outcome measures. Two categories comprised by two subcategories each were identified by the qualitative analysis: positive and motivating experiences of the training and experiences of positive results of the training. The categories reveal positive experiences of the training design and exercises as well as becoming stronger and gaining trust to use the body again as the main result after the training period. Conclusion: An individually designed training program focusing on the rectus abdominis muscle could be effective for reducing the IRD and getting stronger when getting up from lying down in women with DRA 2-12 months postpartum. Training the rectus abdominis with regular supervision was experienced positively and motivating after pregnancy. The most important experienced result was becoming stronger and gaining increased trust in the body.

Introducción: Se define al dolor lumbar como un dolor en la zona de la espalda baja, entre el borde inferior de la última costilla y los pliegues glúteos. Puede presentarse en un 20 % de la población de manera intensa. La prevalencia de dolor lumbar crónico en los universitarios oscila entre 12.4 % - 75 %. Se encontró que la alteración de la musculatura del recto abdominal se encuentra relacionado con las personas que presentan dolor lumbar, a diferencia de otros músculos del Coré. Objetivo: Determinar si existe asociación entre la distancia entre los bordes mediales del músculo recto abdominal y la presencia de dolor lumbar en estudiantes de una universidad privada de la ciudad de Lima. Método: Estudio de casos y controles, realizado en estudiantes de una universidad privada de la ciudad de Lima. Nuestras variables fueron, el dolor lumbar y la distancia entre los rectos abdominales Los instrumentos fueron, ficha de datos, escala numérica de dolor (ENA), índice cintura cadera, cuestionario nórdico, escala de Oswestry y caliper digital calibrado. Resultados: Se observo que la media y desviación estándar de la distancia de los rectos abdominales (IRD) fue (21.9 ± 3.5). El dolor lumbar tuvo asociación con la variable IRD (p = 0.001); IRD cuartiles (p= 0.015) y IRD dicotomizada (p=0.004). Incluso, la variable diástasis abdominal se encontró asociada con el dolor lumbar (p=0.006). Conclusiones: Se encontró una asociación entre el (IRD) y el dolor lumbar en los estudiantes universitarios. Además, se evidencio asociación entre diástasis y el dolor lumbar. / Background: Low back pain (LBP) is defined as the pain located in the low back between the lower edge of the last rib and the gluteal folds. It can be found in 20 % of the population as intense pain. The prevalence of chronic low back pain in university students oscillates between 12.4 %-75 %. Unlike other Core muscles, the alteration of the rectus abdominis muscles is related to low back pain. Objective: To determine the association between the abdominal rectus medial edges distance and the presence of low back pain in students of a private university in Lima. Material and methods: Case-control study in students of a private university in Lima. The variables were low back pain and the inter-rectus distance. The research instruments were data collection sheet, numeric pain scale, waist-hip ratio, Nordic questionnaire, Oswestry disability index and calibrated digital caliper. Results: The mean and the standard deviation of the inter-rectus distance was 21.9 (±3.5). The variable low back pain had association with the variables inter-rectus distance (p=0.001), inter-rectus distance quartiles (p=0.015) and dichotomized inter-rectus distance (p=0.004). Additionally, the variable diastasis recti abdominis muscle was associated with low back pain (p=0.006). Conclusions: There is association between inter-rectus distance and low back pain in university students. Furthermore, an association between diastasis recti abdominis muscle and low back pain was evidenced. / Tesis