News
Don’t lift heavy loads…Physiotherapist cautions women
Women have been advised against lifting heavy loads and engaging in activities that put strain on their pelvic muscle.
“Women tend to have a lot of health-related problems which are not given the needed attention due to a number of socioeconomic commitments they make for themselves and their families,” Ms Anna Hughton, a Physiotherapist and Clinic Director at the Accra Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic said in an interview with The Spectator.
She said that, even where there were abnormal signs some women ‘put them aside’ and went about their usual daily activities.
The pelvic area, she said, “is one of the sections where women have problems and prolapse is one of the conditions.”
Prolapse, she explained, was when “the pelvic organ which supports the uterus, bladder and other organs, gets out of place and starts to drop beyond the normal place where it is supposed to be.”
This condition, she said, could be mild or severe and could emerge as a result of child birth or when women put excessive strain on the pelvic muscle.
Causes
Stressing on a number of causes of the prolapse she said, “Frequently straining while trying to pick heavy loads, a lot of pushing during the delivery process and pregnancy with a heavy baby can put pressure on the pelvic floor and make it weak to cause a prolapse.”
Whilst menopausal women could be exposed to prolapse due to a reduction in the hormones that straighten the pelvic floor muscle, some lifestyle activities such as heavy smoking associated with constant cough could also predispose one to having a prolapse.
“A heavy smoker who coughs constantly strains the pelvic floor making it weaken; she stressed”.
Being obese can cause general weakness including a weakened pelvic floor because the weight of the body and the abdomen can put pressure on the pelvic floor and contribute to prolapse.
Unexpectedly, women who also generally do not engage in exercises to keep the pelvic floor strong are likely to have a prolapse because “the pelvic floor is what supports the uterus, the bladder and the rectum so if it weakens, any of these organs can also drop,” Ms Hughton said.
Constipation coupled with not having good bowel movement she stated, could lead to prolapse and explained that “this happens when one strains constantly to free the bowel, overtime, the pelvic floor is weakened and can also cause a prolapse.”
Symptoms
She gave some symptoms of prolapse as: A feeling of pressure or heaviness in the pelvic area, if you stand, you can see a bulge; urinary problems such as leaking of urine or a chronic urge to urinate; a feeling that something is coming out of the vagina; Constipation among others.
What to do
Depending on the level of the condition, pelvic floor exercises could help at the early stages of prolapse.
- Avoid the lifting of heavy things or an activity that increases the pressure on the pelvic floor.
- Maintain a balance between the abdominal pressure and the pelvic floor pressure and refrain from activities that strain the pelvic floor muscle.
- Pelvic floor muscle exercise can help and it can help also during delivery, maintain a healthy weight and avoid smoking.
- Women who experience such conditions should visit a qualified physiotherapist.
By Portia Hutton-Mills
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
