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What Causes Abdominal Diastasis?

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Posted on Thu, 14 May 2015
Question: I have been diagnose with abdominal diastasis. I have had 7 children and am 84 years old. I am having pain constantly and more so lying down. Or maybe I just notice it more laying down and not thinking of other things. What's going on?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (8 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Abdominal diastasis does not cause abdominal pain.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Thank you for the query.

Can you please attach a picture of it (performed when lying down with head rise up). Where is your pain located? Does it radiate to back? Do you have any problems with stool like diarrhea, constipation?

Abdominal diastasis is very often blamed to cause abdominal pain. But the truth is that it rarely gives any symptoms apart from aesthetic problem. Hernia is what can cause abdominal pain. But diastasis is not a hernia as there is no hole in abdominal wall.
Moreover, hernia should give pain more intense when standing or coughing. When lying down, pain should be less intense.

Please answer questions above so I can give more precise answer.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (6 hours later)
Thank you for response. It was my impression that Diastasis should not cause pain. my pain is below my right ribs right over a 60 year old gall bladder scar but the xrayt pretty much disappears when I lay gown, CAT scan, nor sonogram show a hernia. I don't have the ability (technologically) to send a picture but it pretty much disappears when I lay down. But the pain is still there.
Sorry I forgot. the pain does not radiate to my back but it does radiate to the left side same area. I was recently constipated but Metamucil helped that. When I raise my right arm over my head I have a wave of prickles up my right rib area.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (11 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Hernia in the scar is possible.

Detailed Answer:
As the pain is located close to a scar, there is a possibility to have a tiny hernia in this location. It is possible for such hernia to do not show up in either CT or ultrasound. Moreover, when performing CT you are lying down, and hernia usually shows up when standing. This makes it hard to diagnose in CT.
I suggest you to consult general surgeon with this issue and ask him to perform physical examination and consider hernia in this location.
Urinary track issue can act like that as well. So urine analysis would be a good idea as well.
And finally, at your age (over 50) large intestine should be checked with colonoscopy. Some large intestine issues can not be seen in CT.

Regards.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Grzegorz Stanko

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 5795 Questions

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What Causes Abdominal Diastasis?

Brief Answer: Abdominal diastasis does not cause abdominal pain. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. Can you please attach a picture of it (performed when lying down with head rise up). Where is your pain located? Does it radiate to back? Do you have any problems with stool like diarrhea, constipation? Abdominal diastasis is very often blamed to cause abdominal pain. But the truth is that it rarely gives any symptoms apart from aesthetic problem. Hernia is what can cause abdominal pain. But diastasis is not a hernia as there is no hole in abdominal wall. Moreover, hernia should give pain more intense when standing or coughing. When lying down, pain should be less intense. Please answer questions above so I can give more precise answer. Looking forward to hearing from you. Regards.