Brief Answer: Needs detailed investigations. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for trusting us with your health concern. The inability to lose weight now could be related to hormonal changes in your body. Because the thyroid hormone affects the metabolism of the body , low levels can cause a decrease in metabolism and weight gain. You need to get your thyroid hormone levels evaluated to check for any fluctuations. menopause is also associated with weight gain and joint pains. Get your serum FSH levels evaluated to find out. There are other hormone that can potentially result in weight gain if their levels are not normal, they are : cortisol- increase levels of this hormone can result in weight gain,levels are checked by an early morning blood test (2) excess levels of growth hormone in adults cause a condition called acromegaly which is associated with increase in tissue mass. Conditions causing fluid accumulation, any condition affecting the heart, kidney or liver can potentially result in accumulation of fluid and increase in weight. In addition in persons with low blood protein levels- fluid accumulation would also occur. The presence of any of these conditions is confirmed with blood tests (for the protein level,kidney, liver) and an ECG/echo for the heart. Increase in weight would contribute to the back pain because our frames are meant to carry only a certain amount of weight and increase in weight increases the pressure on our weight bearing joints ( the hips ,knees , ankles and back). Lower back pain and shoulder pain can also be caused by muscle strain or spasm, arthritis- usually felt with a stiffness that may occur on waking, prolapsed disc, multiple myeloma. Diagnosis requires history (to assess for any history of injury, neurological symptoms, nature of the pain), examination and ,depending on the result of both of these, appropriate investigations such as blood tests or xrays. You need to consult your physician for detailed investigations to rule out all these causes. Please feel free to discuss further. I will be glad to answer the follow up queries that you have. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr. Rakhi Tayal. For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Rakhi-Tayal

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