Can a Tummy Tuck Reduce Back Pain?

Tummy tuck surgery can provide beautiful contouring results for the midsection after pregnancy. In addition to the cosmetic enhancement it offers, research has shown a tummy tuck with abdominal muscle repair can also improve certain physical concerns that women have following childbirth, such as chronic back pain.

Many women can benefit from muscle repair in their post-pregnancy tummy tuck surgery, due to a common condition known as “diastasis recti.” This problem results from the abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis) stretching during pregnancy. While the most obvious sign of diastasis recti is a stomach “bulge” that won’t seem to go away, the separation of abdominal muscles can also contribute to poor posture and back pain.

As the abdominal muscles are repaired during surgery, this restores their ability to function properly. In addition, excess tissue is removed during a tummy tuck, which can reduce the weight pulling down on the abdomen and, therefore, relieve stress on the back muscles and joints. Although tummy tuck surgery is not always an effective solution for back pain, the procedure has shown to offer significant improvement in patients who developed the problem from abdominal muscle weakness after pregnancy.