Category: hernia

December 14, 2011

ALL NEW Before and After Pictures – DIastasis Recti and Waist Size down to 23"!

You might remember client MJ from several posts ago.  But I thought a separate post was warranted with her results…there are several things to add, along with the new pictures!

 CLIENT MJ
 Not only did Client MJ, who initially had 2 C sections and an umbilical hernia get down to a
23 3/4 INCH WAIST (week 6 picture shown at 24 inches), AND her DIASTASIS RECTI is CLOSED, but HER HERNIA ALSO POPPED BACK IN!! 

DIASTASIS
waist
upper
middle
lower
Week 1
27
3
4
5
Week 2
1.5
2.25
3.5
Week 6
24 3/8
closed
1.5
2 VS
Week 12
23 3/4
closed
closed
.25 VS
DAY 1
WEEK 6 – 24 in wasit

DAY 1 -27 inch waist
WEEK 6 – 24 inch Waist

September 27, 2011

Fantastic Results healing the diastasis recti through the Tupler Technique®

To those of you who have been told surgery is the only option – look no further!!  I see amazing results everyday!!  Look at your other options!  I have seen so many great results recently, and I wanted to post a few of them!

Client SD: 
This client is in her low 30s.  She is a mom of 2 kids, and had an OUTTIE belly button.  In only 2 weeks, here is what happened with her:
                         
DIASTASIS
waist
upper
middle
lower
Week 1
29 3/4
3
5
4
Week 2
28 1/8
.25
1.5
2.5
Her belly button issues have totally been resolved!  Instead of feeling the need to put tape over her belly button, her connective tissue was drawn inward and healed nicely, as well as her diastasis coming together signifigantly ESPECIALLY for just 2 weeks!!  Not her waist size is down more than 1 ½ inches!  !  She did 10 sets of 100 of Seated Tupler Contractions everyday, AND wore the splint.
Client HB
This client is also in her low 30s.  She also has 2 kids, and had C sections.
DIASTASIS
waist
upper
middle
lower
Week 1
28 3/8
1
3
3
Week 2
26 7/16
.75
.5
.25
This client is clinically closed – but I know we can close that upper the rest of the way.  Her technique was fantastic and in only TWO WEEKS she has gone down 1 ½ inches as well!  She did 10 sets of 100 of Seated Tupler Contractions everyday, AND wore the splint.
Client SH
This client is 41 and has 2 kids.  She in below her prepregnancy weight, eats PRIMAL, and works out with a personal trainer 4 times a week, and does a video the rest of the week (and now works with me).  She literally just had the last piece of the puzzle to go – her belly.  Unbeknownst to her, she had a large hernia, extending 4 ½ inches along her connective tissue.  It protruded out 1 ¾ inches with just a little movement in her abdominal region.
DIASTASIS
waist
upper
middle
lower
Week 1
32
2
3
4 1/4
Week 8
30
1.75
2.25
.5
The big news here is the hernia!!  Her waist is looking much better, and the diastasis, especially in the lower region has significantly gone down.  But the HERNIA…!  It is now only 2 ¾ in length, and protrudes only .25 inches – a FRACTION of what it was both in length and in depth!!! She has been fairly consistent with 10 sets of 100 and wears her splint religiously!
Client SH #2
This client (different than the previous) is in her late 20s.  She had twins 7 years ago via C section, and a 3 child via C section.  She is a doula (my doula actually!) and wanted to put things back together again. 
DIASTASIS
waist
upper
middle
lower
Week 1
29 3/8
3
8
4
Week 4
27 3/4
1.5
3 shallow
2.5
Only working with this client 2 times – she had AMAZING results!!  She brought her 8 down to 3 shallow – meaning her connective tissue is really healing nicely and it shouldn’t be too long before its totally together.  Her other areas are looking much better as well – AND she lost 2 inches in her waist.  She did the 10 sets of 100 Seated Tupler Contractions and wore her splint.  Moms of Multiples –pay attention!!  You can SO do this!!

More results and pictures to come!!  It is so rewarding to see amazing progress, to see the hope restored in the women I work with, and to help restore their midsection!!!

January 6, 2011

I REVERSED My Hernia during pregnancy ?!?! A miraculous story..

This story is mine, actually.  I am the last person in the WORLD I ever thought would get a hernia during pregnancy.  I make sure my recti stay together as much as possible during pregnancy, if not completely together by doing seated tuplers and avoiding comprising movements.  The connective tissue, therefore, doesn’t have to stretch over the organs like SARAN WRAP, like it does when the diastasis is bigger, thereby increasing the likelihood of a tear or imperfection of the connective tissue (linea alba/linea negra).  When the organs poke through the imperfection or hole in the connective tissue, THAT is a hernia…..So what happened…..?
During this pregnancy I experience 2 severe Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) – one right on top of the other…I had to go in for special cultures, etc.  Well, this was during the time that I typically “pop out” with my pregnancy belly.  Sadly, the pain was too severe to do seated tuplers, which I believe would have prevented what then happened….
I could see when I was finally starting to heal from the UTI that my recti had split – and I had a diastasis.  Not a big one, – like a 2 ½ in the middle, and 1 shallow on the top and bottom.  I also noticed a painful area near my belly button, and a strange protrusion – a slightly bluish color.  I thought – OH NO!!!!!  HOW could this BE?!?!
I began researching, and of course consulting with Diastasis Rehab headquarters in New York.  Both avenues told me that I could make the hernia pop back in (as long as it was not an endangerment to my health-kind-of-hernia) only AFTER PREGNANCY, but DEFINITELY NOT DURING.
However, I am not one to let things lie.  I felt inclined to begin doing sets of seated tuplers WHILE MANUALLY holding in my hernia.  After doing several trial sets, I became in contact with  Julie Tupler about working with the hernia this way, which she thought sounded promising and monitoring the situation of doing sets this way. 
What you are about to read has never been done before, and is the first of its kind that I have ever found.  This could change the way hernias are dealt with during pregnancy:
Here is what happened:
Day one – very painful hernia – seemed like it was getting bigger – it was 2 fingerwidths tall and 1 fingerwidth wide.  Manually holding in the hernia at first seemed to take both of my hands to make sure I gingerly slid the hernia back into the tear of the connective tissue.  I found I had to angle my hernia TOWARDS the belly button, and then slightly back away to get the hernia to pop IN. When I could feel the surface pain was gone, and I could feel the absence of the protrustion, I knew the hernia was back “in.”  I then did “standing” seated tuplers while tucking my chin and bringing my head down (a “standing” head lift)  – so I could both bring the connective tissue back together AND shorten the recti. I also did the regular seated tuplers as well.
I splinted ALL DAY making sure to try and bring the hernia in as much as possible while splinting.
Day two – I woke up and did more seated tuplers STANDING while holding the hernia in manually.  It was smaller it seemed and the pain was HALVED!!  That seemed encouraging.  I did several more sets.  It was very helpful to me to see my exposed belly while doing these to make sure I pushed in the ENTIRE hernia while doing these.  I did about 3 to 4 sets of 100 this way, as well one of two sets of 100 seated tuplers (normal) in the car without holding in the hernia. 
I again splinted ALL DAY (AND NIGHT) making sure to bring the hernia in as much as possible.
I also because VERY cautious of my body mechanics – avoiding anything that would shoot the hernia back out and destroy my work – I kept my back flat while bending over, I didn’t pick of anything too heavy, and I kept my transverse in on the work part of everything I did.
Day three – I woke up and I didn’t “sense” my hernia.  I had to feel around to see if some of it was still there.  Finally I found a little sliver of a hernia by my navel.  It was now 1 fingerwidth long, and 1/3 of a fingerwidth wide.   This was VERY heartening.  I did more standing seated tuplers while tucking my chin and bringing my head down, keeping my pelvis tilted, and MANUALLY bringing in the hernia. It was small enough now that when I brought the hernia in, it felt like bubbles when it went through the tear – and only very slight pain.  I couldn’t even see the bulge anymore, and NO bluish color.
Day four – slight setback – I went to target and decided to get very organized.  I purchased 10 heavy bins that stack and put them in the car myself – they were too heavy for me to keep my transverse in all the way – the hernia came out a little bit – but didn’t regress all the way.  I KNEW I should have asked one of those cart boys for help!
Day five – I am of course STILL wearing the splint both night and day – making sure that I don’t feel the pull of the splint above of below the hernia area if it wanders – as this can cause pressure of the hernia area to pop out more – it must be DIRECTLY over the herniated area.  I did more sets of 100  – both standing seated tuplers and regular seated tuplers.  I feel like the standing ones give me slightly more leverage and view to get the hernia just right.
Day six – Still wearing the splint – I can’t really tell the hernia is there at all –both in sight and feel.  I do more regular seated tuplers know , as I can tell the hernia won’t go the other way, but will be more apt (even with the forward forcefull pressure of my growing uterus) to go back in where it should.

So that is that – against all knowledge and experience out there – I brought back in the hernia DURING PREGNANCY – at 28 weeks – with the baby slightly ahead of schedule.  This is HUGE!!  This is the first time this has been tried and it was SUCCESSFUL.  There is hope.  Now no surgery after birth for a stupid hernia – and in only a week.  I wouldn’t have believed it myself if it didn’t happen to me.  Just like the many in the medical world (many still don’t) believe that diastasis recti can be brought together without surgery, they’ll think the same thing about bringing a hernia in while PREGNANT (many hernias can be brought in AFTER pregnancy with seated tuplers).  But now the world can know it IS possible – and we are ahead of the curve!  

(DISCLAIMER:  don’t do without supervision of someone educated in this area).

December 13, 2010

Questions from a certified STOTT Pilates Instructor

I think it is very enlightening to get questions from other fitness professionals.  Here are some questions from a STOTT Pilates Instructor who has a client dealing with a Diastasis Recti.  My answers are in red underneath.  I am also including some “WORDS OF AWARENESS”  from her about supermarket pilates, so to speak.  Things you should be aware of!

What I really also want to know is… am I understanding correct, the rectus abdominals actually rip apart in the center?

There is connective tissue in between the recti and transverse abdominal muscles, called linea alba (linea negra when pregnant).   As the muscles split apart further and further with forward forceful pressures (pregnancies) or forward forceful movements (coughing, incorrect abdominals) the connective tissue spreads out across the organs like saran wrap.  As you can imagine, it gets incredibly thin – if it gets a hole or tear, the organs can poke through (hernia).  And by the way, the connective tissue at this point is the only thing holding in all the organs, which is really the job of the muscles.  So most women at this point get an unsightly bulge in the midsection (mummy tummy), and the abs won’t lay flat.

 If that’s correct, will she always be in danger of further injury? 
If you are asking if the abs can resplit with the foreward forceful pressures or movements again, the answer is ABSOLUTLEY YES!!  However, once you bring the abs together, the mind body connection is much stronger.  Certain basic exercises (Tupler Technique™) must continued to be done the rest of your life, just like walking and stretching, so the muscles don’t atrophy and resplit.  If they do resplit briefly, the client can put on the splint for a few days, do more sets of the basic exercises of the Tupler Technique™ (VERY intrinsic so can be done literally ANYWHERE…similar to kegels in this regard) and it should come back in a couple of days.  Tupler Technique™ should be done during subsequent pregnancies to prevent splitting, or keeping it to a minimum.
Does your system only bring them back together “sort of”… and will she forever have to wear the splint?

The technique, given that the clients technique is good (which I check for and ensure) and she is consistent when I am not with her, she can bring it back totally and completely.  Its beautiful when the recti and transverse totally come together.  The stretched out connective tissue also shrinks and heals.  Many people’s hernias pop back in.  The splint is to be worn UNTIL the diastasis is closed – all day and night, and then as mentioned, if they are resplit ( which she will learn how to check for) then they can be quickly closed again.

 I’m not sure how to explain my question… they don’t actually mend in any way, do they?
So yes, in summary:  The gap becomes totally closed, which eliminates the diastasis.  The connective tissue shrinks and heals back to its normal size.  
 



WORDS OF AWARENESS:  You really sound like me when people ask me about pilates … all they know is what they get off a video or at a Lifetime Fitness club – which is NOT what pilates is or was meant to be (real pilates, that is!).  And proper technique can allow the body to withstand herniated discs, etc. etc. without fusing the spine… but all doctors ask is “pilates… isn’t that like yoga?”  NO!  not at all!   “core” training has turned into simple AB exercises that give you 6-pack abs, but that don’t touch the transverse abdominals – which is where they should reach!  And unfortunately pilates has been watered down by very unprofessional, very untrained “certifications” and the art and benefits of real pilates is being marketed away by money making organizations giving you “certified mat” credentials for a weekend training session!  It took me three years to get my certification!  Whew!  There’s MY rant and rave, thank you very much!!

I want to thank this C. for allowing me to give insight into her questions, and for allowing me to post her words of awareness on pilates!  Thanks so much!