Can abdominal rectus diastasis cause lower back pain?

Mild Rectus Abdominis Separation Generally Does Not Cause Back Pain, but Severe Cases May Do So

Rectus abdominis separation occurs due to the expansion and stretching of the abdominal wall during pregnancy, causing the two rectus abdominis muscles to separate from the linea alba towards both sides. Whether it leads to back pain is related to the severity of the condition. If there is mild rectus abdominis separation, it is often detected during physical examination or imaging examination. In this case, patients do not experience obvious discomfort, so back pain symptoms are generally absent, and no special interventional treatment is required.

However, in cases of severe rectus abdominis separation, long-term separation can weaken abdominal strength, placing greater stress on the lumbar spine and surrounding muscles. Over time, this can lead to damage to the lumbar muscles, manifesting as symptoms such as abdominal muscle weakness, low back pain, and urinary incontinence. The emergence of these symptoms indicates a relatively severe condition that requires active treatment under medical supervision.