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Not to be used for advertising or in a defamatory context .Spreading apart (divarication) of the abdominal recti muscles in a 73 year old male patient. Normally, the abdominal rectus muscles meet in the middle, but due to a congenital defect or pregnancy, there may be a wider gap between them, which causes them to spread apart when flexed. Symptoms of this condition include a visible bulge of the abdomen, weak core muscles and lower back pain. Treatment for divarication of recti may include physical therapy, abdominal bracing and in severe cases surgical intervention. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/DR P. MARAZZI)