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Diastasis Recti

Find relief and restore function with our specialized physical therapy.

Diastasis Recti
Diastasis recti occurs when the rectus abdominis muscles, which run vertically down the front of your abdomen, separate due to weakened connective tissue. This condition often develops during pregnancy, but it can also occur due to other factors, such as rapid weight changes or improper exercise techniques. At Beyond Basics, we specialize in diastasis recti rehabilitation through targeted physical therapy designed to help you heal and restore function to your abdominal muscles.

Symptoms of Diastasis Recti

The symptoms of diastasis recti vary, but some common indicators include:

  • Visible abdominal separation of the abdomen
  • A noticeable bulge or “doming”, particularly when straining, lifting, or with certain movements
  • Lower back pain or discomfort
  • Weakness in the core, leading to difficulty with abdominal exercises and poor posture
  • Bloating or a feeling of pressure in the abdominal region
  • Difficulties postpartum with daily activities
Symptoms of Diastasis Recti
How Diastasis Recti Occurs

How Diastasis Recti Occurs

Diastasis recti abdominis occurs when the rectus abdominis muscles separate, causing a gap to form along the linea alba (the connective tissue that runs down the middle of your abdomen). This condition most commonly occurs during pregnancy due to the stretching of the abdominal muscles to accommodate the growing uterus, but it can also develop in men and non-pregnant women due to:

  • Increased Abdominal Pressure: Activities such as heavy lifting or incorrect exercise techniques can put excessive pressure on the abdominal muscles, leading to diastasis recti.
  • Weakened Connective Tissue: The connective tissue between the rectus abdominis muscles can become overstretched and weakened, contributing to abdominal separation.
  • Post-Pregnancy Recovery: Many women experience diastasis recti symptoms postpartum, which can affect core strength, posture, and daily activities.
  • Other Contributing Factors: Rapid weight changes or conditions that lead to increased pressure in the abdominal cavity can also cause diastasis recti abdominis.

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How Physical Therapy Can Help

At Beyond Basics, we offer diastasis recti treatment through a combination of exercises and manual therapy techniques aimed at healing symptoms related to the separation of the abdominal muscles. Our approach focuses on:

  • Strengthening the Rectus Abdominis Muscles: Targeted exercises help strengthen the rectus abdominis and surrounding core muscles, addressing symptoms related to the gap caused by diastasis recti.
  • Improving Core Stability: We help you regain proper core strength, which can improve your posture and alleviate back pain.
  • Restoring Function: Our treatments help to restore the function of your abdominal muscles and connective tissue, allowing you to resume normal activities and exercise.
  • Addressing Postural Issues: We work to correct posture and alignment problems that often accompany diastasis recti.
  • Discussing the Psychosocial Components: We provide empowerment, education, and supportive guidance to help you feel reassured and knowledgeable throughout your recovery.
How Physical Therapy Can Help

What to Expect During Your Sessions

During Your Initial Appointment

At your first appointment, we’ll take the time to discuss any symptoms you’ve been experiencing so that we can learn more about your specific situation. We’ll then perform a gentle assessment of your abdominal muscles, connective tissue, and posture to determine the extent of your symptoms. This helps us create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs.

During Your Additional Appointments

Each visit is customized to your progress and comfort level. Our physical therapists will guide you through diastasis recti exercises designed to strengthen your abdominal muscles and address the symptoms related to the separation. We will also use hands-on techniques to address any muscle imbalances or tightness. Throughout the process, we will monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan as necessary to help you find relief from symptoms and achieve the best results.

Client Testimonials

Working with my physical therapist has been a game changer.
I love going to Beyond Basics! I saw tremendous improvement after just two months of working with them. They are incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and professional! They carefully explained the purpose of each exercise, and provided guidance on how to do them correctly. They always checked my progress and made adjustements with their approach if I needed more guidance. Finding them has been life-changing!
Very knowledgeable skilled understanding and friendly. Highly recommend
I cannot recommend pelvic floor physical therapy enough! From the moment I walked into the clinic, I felt completely at ease. The therapist was incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate. They took the time to listen to my concerns and explained every step of the process, which made me feel empowered and confident in my treatment plan.
When I started working with Sonali, I was waking up 6–7 times a night with severe chest pain that only subsided after a trip to the bathroom. Countless doctors couldn’t pinpoint the issue. Sonali took a completely different approach, identifying a tight pelvic floor that needed release before strengthening. She also uncovered muscle imbalances, trigger points in my diaphragm and lower back, and inefficient breathing patterns. Her manual therapy sessions and personalized home exercises brought real improvement. Now, I only wake up 1–2 times a night and feel sensations where they should be. My sleep quality and circulation have improved significantly, and I finally feel hopeful about my recovery. Sonali’s expertise has truly been life changing! I highly recommend Beyond Basics Physical Therapy Midtown West
Vivian is the best physical therapist I have ever worked with. She is patient, knowledgeable, and truly cares about my progress. Each session is a full hour, and she gives me her full attention, something I never experienced elsewhere. Other clinics rushed through sessions and left me to do exercises alone. Before Beyond Basics, I spent a year at another clinic with no progress on my overactive bladder. With Vivian, I finally feel real improvement. I am so grateful to have found her and Beyond Basics. They have truly changed my life.
I love how clean and soft my carpets feel underfoot now. It’s amazing how much of a difference a deep clean makes.
My child has shown significant improvement with pediatric pelvic floor therapy. The compassionate approach here made all the difference.
They made everything so easy to understand, and the exercises were exactly what I needed.
I didn’t realize how much my body needed postpartum pelvic therapy until I started the sessions. The improvements have been remarkable.
After struggling with postpartum discomfort, I finally decided to try pelvic floor therapy from Beyond Basics Physical Therapy. The changes I’ve experienced have been life-changing, and I feel so much stronger now.
Very helpful!
Sonali is one of the most caring and kind person I have come across. As a patient and most importantly as a female, to find these two qualities in a therapist are not only extremely important but also extremely rare to find.
After experiencing bladder dysfunction postpartum, I sought pelvic floor physical therapy and was amazed at the personalized care. It made me feel confident and capable again.
I am working with Sonail. She is a skilled practioner both with hands and heart.
I want to thank Dr. Solani Patel. Throughout my treatment she has been gentle, polite, patient and very knowledgable. Each of the exercises she gave me were very relevant to my condition and very helpful.
Beyond basics is such an amazing space for rehabbing postpartum pains and aches.
The therapists are incredibly knowledgeable, kind, gentle, and wonderful at their job!
As a dancer, I received the expert care I needed to return to work with confidence.
Radhi K. was great. Have been using a few techniques she recommended and already seeing an improvement. I was at first skeptical but once I started seeing the results, I am grateful. Thank you!
Beyond Basics is one the best places to go for physical therapy.... I'm extremely happy I started going here, and it's very convenient, being that it's directly across the street from Grand Central. My physical therapist, Radhi Kadakia, is awesome and highly recommended!
Vivian is fantastic! I felt like in just a few minutes she identified the reason I’ve been having so much so joint and hip area oain for the past couple of years. I had seen multiple different docs/specialists and no one had been able to figure anything out. She gave me some exercises to help gain more connectivity and activation on my glutes (I over-rely on my core and quads and not enough in my posterior chain), and when I said I’d be more likely to do them if I had a video demo she kindly did demos and let me record them!

I’ll also add that I’m a childbirth educator and both doula and have been recommending this practice for years because colleagues and clients have raved about them but only recently did I get to actually experience this for myself. (In fact, I ran into one of my birth class students when I went to my appointment!) Now I can recommend even more highly!
Emily Moore is the most insightful, ingenious and effective PT I have ever worked with, and I've worked with over a dozen over the past 30 years. I wish they were a little more Medicare compliant, but even if it costs more, to me, it's worth it.
PT Danielle is phenomenal. She knows about the entire body. She gave me exercises for my upper right back which are paying off. BBPT sends you a follow-up email with videos about how to do the exercises. They are awesome.
Carson has been extremely informative and helpful in my PT journey. She has been great at keeping me at ease and explaining to process, and being straight forward about our goals in therapy. Very glad I found Carson and Beyond Basics.
I had a great experience at Beyond Basics! I was nervous about going to physical therapy, but Sonali was so professional and nice, which made me feel a lot more comfortable. Sonali fully solved my pelvic floor issues in only a few sessions. She gave me stretches to do on my own time to move my progress along and also to ensure I don't lose any progress I've made. The receptionist Jasmine is also great-she is really helpful when it comes to scheduling appointments. I can't recommend Beyond Basics enough!
Great care - wonderful therapists. Head and shoulders above most other Physical Therapy practices.
Sonali was wonderful! Extremely knowledgeable and understanding. Excellent facility.
The waiting room--always decorated--is a welcoming space. Makela is respectful, resourceful and wonderfully clear in spoken and physical instruction. It is truly a pleasure to work with her,
I highly recommend Beyond Basics Physical Therapy. Great staff!
Danielle Santora is exceptionally well-informed, a great listener and and a great educator. She is that rare person who knows her business and has the sensitivity to deal with a delicate subject.
Eliza is amazing! I am seeing her for pelvic floor PT due to pregnancy related discomfort and in just 2 sessions she has helped reduce my pain/discomfort a lot. She has a very kind and comforting bedside manner and makes you feel very at ease. I highly recommend her.
Sonali Patel is an excellent physical therapist. She is very knowledgable about pelvic health, and has great manual therapy and communication skills. I highly recommend her.
This place is amazing!!! I worked with Sonali. She was extremely knowledgable and our sessions were very thorough. Sonali was so compassionate and helped me feel so supported. I felt like she really understood what I was going through. I saw great improvements and am very satisfied with the whole experience. Highly recommend!
Wonderful place, I've worked with Makela previously, she's "as good as it gets". Natural healer, empathetic, pleasant, smart,,,,,,,what more can u ask for?
If you’re looking for someone to address all your concerns, this is the place. Eliza is great
Vivian Zhang at Beyond Basic PT is awesome! She took my concerns seriously and, using exercises and physical releases, improved my breathing and quality of life.
My experience with Beyond Basics has been outstanding! Danielle is incredibly insightful, professional, and an excellent communicator. She is truly an expert and I am very grateful to have her in my journey!
Sonali Patel is a miracle worker! I came to Beyond Basics with really bad TMJ issues and Sonali was able to provide me almost instant relief from years of tension. I've never felt better and she taught me some really awesome tips I can use myself moving forward. Overall I had a really great experience at Beyond Basics!
I’ve now been to Beyond Basics at two different points in my life for two different reasons. They are truly the experts. I walk away from each session in awe of the deep knowledge base of my physical therapist Sonali, who I trust and respect deeply. I have dealt with other physical therapy offices in the past and nothing can compare to the level of care, comfort, professionalism, efficiency, and effectiveness of this office. I actually look forward to my appointments. Highly recommend for anyone with GI issues of any kind or has had a baby!
I highly recommend Beyond Basics for pelvic floor PT. My therapist, Vivian, was friendly, thoughtful, respectful, and knowledgeable. She knows what she’s doing and made great suggestions for exercises I could do on my own. I had great results in combination with treatment recommended by my doctor. The facility is clean and staff are welcoming. Highly recommend.
A terrific therapist who made an awkward procedure comfortable and normal. She is smart, sensitive , knowledgeable and a delight to be with during therapy
Beyond Basics is the Physical Therapy place to go for exceptional, friendly, knowledgeable, and personalized care for your physical rehabilitation, particularly following surgery and pelvic floor strengthening. Danielle, Physical Therapist, is awesome!
Incredibly caring, experienced and professional. Highly recommended.
Makela is an amazing PT. The office staff is wonderful and the space is great. Highly recommend.
Danielle Santora saved my life! I have made more progress working with her than any other PT. She’s incredibly kind, always willing to meet you where you’re at but not afraid to push you to be better. I would not be anywhere close to where I am today without her detailed and consistent guidance.
Rachel at Beyond Basics downtown is an outstanding, highly skilled, patient, kind and dedicated physical therapist. I love going to see her, she helps me so much. *Highly* recommended!
Sonali is outstanding. She is very knowledgible and helpful. Plus, very pleasant.
I was afraid to go out because of my overactive bladder.  Vivian Zhang saved my life.  My life improved tremendously after spending two months with her.

She is very patient, knowledgeable, and professional.  She spends a full hour with me which I could not find in any other physical therapy.  She gave me so much attention and continued to look for the root cause of my problems.  She explains the purpose of the exercises.  She teaches me the exercises and makes sure I do it correctly.  She will check my understanding in the next session to make sure I do it correctly.  If I don’t do it correctly, she will find another way to explain to me and check my understanding.   All other physical therapy just spends 30 minutes on me and leaves me alone to do the exercises myself.  They don’t check to see if I am doing it correctly.  Before coming to Beyond Basic, I was in another physical therapy for a year and was not able correct my overactive bladder problem.  I am so lucky to have found Vivian and Beyond Basic.
You don't take my insurance.
Very clean. Therapists are super friendly and extremely professional. Very knowledgeable and walk you through everything.
Excellent in all respects. The therapists are dedicated professionals who go above and beyond to help you deal with your issues.
Top notch therapists, excellent care, Carson great.
When I came to Beyond Basics I had already been to a couple PTs before with limited success.

Working with Carson Judkins, PT, DPT, PRPC was completely different from my previous experiences. Carson took the time to listen to my specific concerns and develop a program of exercises that helped me meet my personal goals.

I have regained so much functionality by working with Carson and have become much more confident in my body and myself. Cannot recommend her enough as a PT!
Great care
One more session of relief and the promise of more flexibility and mobility and the fulfillment of all the goals I set out to achieve with Iris! At her gentle coaxing, and calm, careful and CARING concern for my well being now - and as we continue on our journey toward healing, the happy future - I feel heard, understood and so well taken care of that I, for the first time in such a long time, I can't count - feel that I am going to feel better enough to celebrate and rejoice! THANK YOU, IRIS! You make me feel like I've got a whole better future ahead of me - and I so appreciate you!
Stopping putting this off and just make an appointment! Extremely knowledgeable and caring staff who want to see improvement in their patients lives. I saw Shana and would highly recommend her.
Superb and attentive care. Highly recommended!
I've been going to Beyond Basics since 2018. Their team has been great. They've helped me with several of my severe chronic health conditions, as well as recovering from a surgery. Right now I'm working with Devon, and I highly recommend her.
Shana is incredible at what she does! Seeing her weekly at Beyond Basics has been pivotal in my pelvic floor physical therapy journey. Plus this office is incredibly conveniently located. 10/10 would recommend!
Kind, compassionate therapist!
I've really appreciated my experience so far at Beyond Basics, working with Makela. I was nervous going into pelvic floor physical therapy and she was respectful and considerate of my hesitation. She also makes a great effort to connect with other members of my treatment team, which makes me feel like I'm being supported holistically. I have already noticed improvement in my daily life, and I'm very grateful!
I’ve been seeing Vivian Zhang for almost a month now for chronic lower back pain. Her approach from the get-go has been based on translating my narrative of symptoms into a comprehensive treatment plan, combining targeted exercises, corrective behaviors, and skillful musculoskeletal manipulation. After almost a year of suffering pain I can finally see the end! Beyond Basics justifies their name. To speak nothing of those rockstar plants in the waiting area!
Beyond Basics has the best physical therapists I've been to in NYC. They've provided the best treatment for chronic fibromyalgia, reducing my pain & increasing my functionality enormously. Highly recommended.
I had known about pelvic floor therapy for more than year before making my first appointment. My only regret is not booking my appointment sooner. Pelvic PT has helped me overcome a long-standing issue, and it has been life-changing.

From the moment I walked in, the team made me feel welcomed and supported. They took the time to understand my concerns and designed a personalized treatment plan just for me.

Vivian used a holistic approach, combining various techniques and exercises to address my pelvic floor concerns. With her guidance, I regained control and experienced a remarkable improvement in my symptoms.

What impressed me the most was her caring and empathetic approach. She created a safe space where I could openly discuss my concerns, and she provided exceptional support throughout the entire journey.

I am forever grateful to Beyond Basics. If you're struggling with pelvic floor issues, don't hesitate to seek their help. They are truly outstanding in their care and commitment to patient well-being.
I am working with Devon who is the epitome of expertise. She is knowledgeable, caring and patient. My experience at Beyond Basics Physical Therapy has been outstanding.
I can’t stress how amazing this facility and their staff is. Always with an abundance of knowledge to offer. PT via Beyond Basics is life changing and brings the client hope.
Beyond Basics has been nothing short of transformative in my health journey. After years of having my pain dismissed by various doctors, I found an OBGYN who identified that I had a hypertonic pelvic floor and should seek pelvic floor physical therapy.

I searched on Google and am so grateful I came across Beyond Basics - this is truly an outstanding place if you are looking for pelvic floor experts. I have never encountered such holistic, patient-affirming care before.

I was fortunate to be matched with Joanna, one of their incredible physical therapists. Joanna is so knowledgeable and an absolute joy to work with. She is not only a very skilled pelvic floor therapists, she is also patient, incredibly emotionally intelligent, and funny, and could brighten up even the worst day in my long healing journey with the crack of a joke.

Thanks to Joanna and Beyond Basics, I have learned so much about my body and have developed concrete tools and pelvic floor relaxation techniques. I feel empowered in my own journey and it was worth every cent !

I will say that while the price of sessions can feel daunting, they do make an effort to make pelvic health more accessible through a sliding scale and spacing out sessions. Their goal is not to make you dependent on their physical therapists, but to help you develop tools and skills so you can take control of your own health and live a pain-free life.

I cannot recommend Beyond Basics enough. I hope one day all women will know about pelvic floor physical therapy and be able to access this amazing practice !
At Beyond Basics I found the help I needed for my Postpartum recovery after a traumatic delivery. Little did I know all the benefits I could get from pelvic floor PT. Here I learned a lot of tools to have a better pelvic health and improve my wellbeing. I really recommend pelvic floor PT to all women! This will help you for life.
Vivian has been my PT and she is great! She has helped me in a lot of ways, physically and emotionally, she’s caring and very knowledgeable.
Also, the girls from front desk are very kind.
Beyond basics is a great place!
My experience with Beyond Basics has truly been life changing!

After having a variety of symptoms without a true diagnosis for months, I found Beyond Basics, and, while I was completely unfamiliar with pelvic floor physical therapy before going there, I quickly realized the benefits even after my first session.

I've now been working with Vivian Zhang for almost a year, and I am continuously amazed by her work. Out of all of the medical professionals that I've worked with in the past, Vivian has shown the most care and interest in my well being. Healing is definitely a journey, and Vivian has shown the utmost respect and patience for me as I work through ups and downs of my personal path. With Vivian, I feel like I have a trusted resource and someone who genuinely listens to me, and that has made such a difference in my recovery.

I cannot thank Vivian, and Beyond Basics as a whole, enough for the improvement that they've made to my quality of life and I highly recommend this practice to anyone who is even remotely considering pelvic floor PT!
My therapist, Sonali Patel has a very thoughtful approach. She gives time and attention to my treatment plan. I am in very good hands. And most importantly I've had positive results. Thank you so much.
Eliza was so great to work with. She was very helpful. She is caring and compassionate. She helped me feel better. Grateful for all of her support. Can’t say enough good things. Would be better if they accepted insurance though.
Beyond Basics PT identified my needs and listened to my concerns as well as planned a treatment regimen that addressed the fundamental causes of my issues. Makayla knowledge regarding body mechanics is extraordinary.
I needed a specialized pt called pelvic floor therapy following rectal surgery. I found Vivian Zhang a very able and knowledgeable therapist at Beyond Basics Physical Therapy on William Street in lower Manhattan. After six weekly one hour sessions, I had a significant improvement in returning to a normal life. Vivian was very clear in her instructions, provided illustrated email instructions for at-home exercises and was available via email as needed. She was also very patient and kind with this 87 year old client.
Dr. Spielman and the Beyond Basic staff are amazing. The front desk is kind, friendly and very helpful when booking appointments.

Dr. Spielman is a life saver. She helped me at a time when I had experienced months of debilitating pain. I had seen multiple specialists and tried various medications to no avail.

Dr. Spielman was the first doctor to diagnose me with an overly tight pelvic floor. She has helped me with workouts, stretches and provided me with important anatomical information on my road to recovery.

I am so grateful for her and I can't recommend both Dr. Spielman and Beyond Basics enough!
I received excellent care at Beyond Basics
I have been a patient at the Beyondbasics PT for almost 3 years and they successfully helped me with both the pelvic floor and orthopedic issues.
I have health issues and I have used several physical therapists in the past.
Beyond Basics is the best!!
They were recommended to me by my doctors
And I am grateful for the recommendations.
Beyondbasics PTs are knowledgeable, attentive, patient and kind.
Front desk representatives are very friendly and kind.
Thank you
I am extremely grateful for Ekta's work. She figured out a complex problem within 2 visits. Importantly, I now understand the problem and know what to do to fix it. I went to so many medical specialists and Pelvic PT's and they couldn't figure out problem. I highly recommend Beyond Basics a perfect name.
Excellent treatment, knowledgeable therapist. Very informative and comfortable experience.
Joanna was super helpful, knowledgeable, and caring. Would absolutely recommend!
Eliza Etter is a wonderful physical therapist: knowledgeable, skilled, empathic, eager to help. I had a great experience working with her and recommend her enthusiastically.
My experience at beyond basics physical therapy has been great. My weekly sessions with Vivian have been extremely helpful. She is kind and patient, as she takes the time to answer any and all questions you may have.
I can’t say enough about what a valuable experience it has been starting Pelvic PT at Beyond Basics with Vivian. I finally decided to try pelvic PT after 6 yrs post partum! I had been told several times it was unlikely to be effective and was hesitant to even try. I am utterly amazed by what a difference it has made after only a few months. Vivian helped to educate and correct a lot of misinformation I received over the years and was incredibly encouraging with very clear and doable instruction. I can’t thank her enough! This has really changed my quality of life and given me hope.
I'm having a wonderful experience at Beyond Basics. The secretaries are so sweet and PT Joanna is exceptionally knowledgeable, compassionate, patient and thorough!
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Beyond Basics We Can Help

Beyond Basics: We Can Help

At Beyond Basics, we are committed to treating pelvic floor issues with sensitivity to each individual’s needs, regardless of sex, race, identity, age, or orientation – we treat the whole person with a comprehensive, caring biopsychosocial approach.

Since 2003, Beyond Basics has been a place of hope and healing for our patients. We believe skilled and compassionate healing can restore your body’s harmony and balance. Founder, Amy Stein, and co-founder, Corey Hazama are renowned experts and leaders in pelvic floor PT.

The skilled physical therapists at Beyond Basics receive extensive training to qualify them to be the world’s leaders in pelvic floor rehabilitation. All of our therapists have been carefully selected to work at Beyond Basics because they possess the right expertise, kindness, and empathy to allow them to excel at our practice. Our therapists have completed hundreds of additional hours outside of their doctorates both internally and externally through institutes such as Herman and Wallace and the American Physical Therapy Association, to help hone their practice and provide exceptional treatment efficiently and compassionately. In addition to being the world’s first and foremost experts in pelvic floor dysfunction, our individual therapists have cultivated additional skills unique to their own personal interests. Read more about each one of our therapists here LINK TO BIO.

Get help now from a pelvic floor therapist.

Diastasis Recti

— Beyond Basics PT | Pelvic Floor Therapy NYC.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is diastasis recti diagnosed?
Diastasis recti is usually diagnosed through a physical examination, by assessing the width and depth of the separation and how the tissues respond to the activation of the core. Your physical therapist will also be monitoring breath holding patterns, checking for any type of straining or “doming”, observing the quality of core contraction, or any other compensation patterns.
Can physical therapy heal diastasis recti?
Physical therapy is an effective treatment for the symptoms related to diastasis recti. Through targeted diastasis recti rehabilitation, our team of physical therapists can help strengthen the rectus abdominis muscles, improve core stability, and promote the healing of the connective tissue.
What exercises are recommended for diastasis recti?
Recommended exercises for diastasis recti vary depending on the contributing factors to your symptoms. They may consist of isolated core exercises, but also full body functional exercises that promote more resilience in your musculoskeletal system. The goal is to improve your core function, pressure management, mobility, movement variability, coordination, and allow you to feel empowered and confident in your body.
Is surgery required to fix diastasis recti?
In most cases, diastasis recti surgery is not required. A combination of strengthening exercises and manual therapy has helped many patients. However, in severe cases where the abdominal muscles do not respond to conservative treatment, surgery may be considered.