Many women navigating postpartum recovery feel like they are fighting a two-front war: a stubborn "mommy tummy" (Diastasis Recti) on the outside, and a leaky bladder (urinary incontinence) on the inside.
It is easy to view these as two separate problems caused by pregnancy. However, from a biomechanical standpoint, they are actually intimately connected. If you want to fix one, you usually have to fix the other.
The "Soda Can" Anatomy
Think of your core as a sealed, pressurized soda can.
- The top of the can is your diaphragm.
- The sides are your abdominal muscles and back muscles.
- The bottom of the can is your pelvic floor.
When you have Diastasis Recti, the front of the "can" is separated and weak. Because the front wall can't stabilize your internal pressure, every time you cough, laugh, or lift your baby, that pressure is forced downward directly onto your pelvic floor. Over time, this constant downward stress overwhelms the pelvic floor muscles, leading to leaks.
Why Kegels Fail to Fix the Floor
If you're leaking, you've likely been told to do Kegels. But manual Kegels have a major flaw: there is no progressive resistance or load.
Strengthening muscles—including pelvic floor muscles—requires resistance exercise. As resistance increases, more muscle fibers are recruited, which results in stronger, more toned, and developed muscles. Kegels improve strength only a little and tone minimally because they lack this progressive resistance, which is absolutely required for true muscle strengthening, toning, and development.
The Complete Repair: EMSELLA + EMSCULPT NEO
At Phelts Chiropractic PC, we treat the whole "soda can."
First, we use the EMSELLA chair to rebuild the foundation. EMSELLA ensures every single muscle fiber is stimulated to contract maximally for maximal toning and development. It recruits many more muscle fibers than standard Kegels. Furthermore, this massive increase in muscle causes the body to create new blood vessels in the area (angiogenesis), which in turn further increases blood flow for better lubrication and arousal.
Simultaneously, we use EMSCULPT NEO on the abdomen to physically close the Diastasis Recti gap and strengthen the front wall. By securing the front and lifting the bottom, we restore your core’s natural pressure system.
Learn how we treat the whole core in our full guide:
Closing the Gap: Why Crunches Won't Fix Your Diastasis Recti
References
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Diastasis Recti and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Research indicates a strong correlation between the presence of diastasis recti and pelvic floor dysfunction, including urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, due to compromised intra-abdominal pressure regulation.
Source: PubMed - Diastasis recti abdominis during pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth -
Maximal Stimulation via HIFEM: Clinical studies confirm that HIFEM technology (EMSELLA) provides supramaximal contractions that surpass the physiological limits of voluntary Kegel exercises, resulting in superior pelvic floor muscle hypertrophy and angiogenesis.
Source: PubMed - Safety and Efficacy of a Non-Invasive High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Field (HIFEM) Device
