Hi All,
You might have come across something like the “Fit-Splint” recently. These things have really taken off and I’ve been getting some questions about them so I here are my thoughts on them.
The reason for splinting muscles and bones is to keep them in place. Doctors use it when you have something like a pulled, or torn, muscle. Keeping the muscle in place allows the little tear to heal.
However, there is no muscle damage when you have Diastasis Recti. There is muscle weakness, a lack of functionality and a stretched sheet. This means that the splint won’t help your Diastasis Recti heal. Even the makers of the “Fit-Splint” don’t claim that it does, they explicitly state that you have to do the exercises they give you in the booklet that comes with it.
A splint or brace can help ease pressure on the muscles, if you suffer from stress on the TVA and a sore belly, but that happens when you’re still pregnant. You know, when the baby is putting strain on everything. Post-Natal the baby, and therefore most of the pressure, is gone. So what is the splint meant to achieve at this stage? A brace, or other form of support, Pre-natal makes much more sense.
Much cheaper and actually makes a bit of sense.
We know from studies done on people wearing weight-belts in the gym that wearing external core support makes the core functionality significantly worse. There is no reason to believe that wearing a splint is any different and there is no evidence to back up any claims that it helps core recovery.
As I’ve written before; The first stage of good post-natal recovery is all about muscle activation. If all the research is correct then a splint does exactly the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve!
In my opinion a splint is a collosal waste of time and money. Post-Natal you should focus on strengthening the core up and having it get it’s functionality back.
Just in case you’ve read the same blogs and articles as I have. I have read a lot of blogs from fitness websites of people recommending wearing a splint for 2-3 weeks post-partum. But nobody seems to be able to tell me what the splint accomplishes in that 2-3 weeks. Most websites talking up the use of a splint also happen to sell the things.
I say save yourself the money, buy a cheaper Pre-natal brace if you’re struggling during pregnancy, and then invest in a good Post-Natal program. The $70 a splint costs buys you 7 months with us (or less then half of a 12-week program with the competition 😉 )
And you get to try us for free for a month!
Take care of yourself, and your money.
Peter
