Diastasis Recti Abdominis and a Combined Treatment With Abdominal Exercise and Radiofrequency

Efficacy of a Combined Treatment With Abdominal Exercise and Radiofrequency in Postpartum Women With Diastasis Recti Abdominis

Diastasis recti abdominis is a pathology that appears in a high percentage of women during the postpartum period. However, there is little evidence about its treatment. The present protocol aims to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency as an alternative for the treatment of abdominal diastasis along with abdominal exercises compared to the only intervention through abdominal exercise.

An aleatory clinical testing will be conducted where 44 women diagnosed with diastasis recti abdominis in the postpartum period will be recruited. A common exercise protocol will be applied for two groups of participants, and both of them will have to be able to carry out the activities autonomously at home. In addition, control sessions will be held weekly for both groups where one of the groups, the control group (n=22), will receive radiofrequency therapy with the machine in athermic mode, while the other group, the experimental group (n=22), will receive a weekly session under the established diathermy protocol. The sessions will last 30 minutes and will take place for 10 consecutive weeks.

Three variables will be evaluated: the width of the diastasis measured in centimeters, life quality measured using the Short form (36) questionnaire, and the perception of the pain measured with the visual analogue scale. Three evaluations will be done: at the beginning of the study, after ten weeks and three months later.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Diastasis Recti; Diastasis Recti and Weakness of the Linea Alba; Diastasis Recti Abdominis; Diastasis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Radiofrequency; Other: Control

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 44
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women diagnosed with diastasis recti abdominis (DRA)
• Age range18-45 years old
• Women not DRA treated previously
• Women not diagnosed with umbilical hernia

Exclusion Criteria:

• DRA width less than 2.5cm
• Women diagnosed with intestinal disease such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Chron disease.
• Women looking for a new pregnancy or pregnant women.
• Women who can not receive diathermy treatment (e.g tumoral process, open wound in the abdominal area or any diathermy contraindication).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Radiofrequency group; All participants will be receive two interventions: A weekly session for 10 weeks with radiofrequency. It will be use the protocol of INDIBA. Each session will last 30 minutes.; Participants will do an homely exercise protocol. This protocol will practise for 3 days at week.	Other: Radiofrequency; Experimental group will receive the common exercise program associated with a radiofrequency treatment using INDIBA® (INDIBA Activ 7, Barcelona, INDIBA S.A.) at a frequency of 448 hertz. It will use the capacitive electrode as a method of preparation and vascularization of the superficial tissues and immediately, within the same session, the resistive electrode to stimulate deep tissues. This treatment is based on the protocols established by INDIBA® S.A. It will consist of one weekly diathermy session of thirty minutes during ten weeks. The use of diathermy will not be interrupted throughout the session. The common exercise program consist in a ten abdominal exercises (including recti abdominis, transversus and obliques). It will practised at home only just three days at week.
Active Comparator: Control group; All participants will be receive two interventions: A weekly session for 10 weeks with radiofrequency. It will be use INDIBA without intensity such as a placebo. Each session will last 30 minutes.; Participants will do an homely exercise protocol. This protocol will practise for 3 days at week.	Other: Control; Control group will receive a weekly INDIBA® session in the abdominal area with the same protocol as the experimental group in athermic mode (placebo treatment) and the common exercise program. The session will last thirty minutes and will be carried out by the research physiotherapist during ten weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Width of the diastasis recti abdominis	The inter-recti diastasis will be measured with a transabdominal ultrasound using a lineal transductor. It will be assessed three measures: 2cm and 5cm above the umbilicus and 2cm below the umbilicus.	It will be collected two measures to compare the changes: at baseline to the study and ten weeks later.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Participant's quality of life	Quality of life will be assessed using the Short form (36) questionnaire, which consist in thirty six questions about how pathology affects the participant's life.	At baseline pre intervention and inmediately after the intervention (10 weeks later)
Low back pain	It will analysed the low back pain in the participants using the visual analogic scale (VAS). The participants will choose a level of pain (0-5) in the scale.	At baseline pre intervention and inmediately after the intervention (10 weeks later)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Castilla-La Mancha

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 27, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): January 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 8, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 7, 2024
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Joint Dislocations; Diastasis, Muscle
• Other Study ID Numbers: Lpena1

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No