Under the bottom of the heel bone is a fat pad which by natural means cushions us and safeguards us as we walk and run. Whenever running or walking, there exists a strain equal to about more than 2 times bodyweight for the heel during heel contact, therefore it really should be no surprise that we all need to have that fat pad. This is even larger whenever running. Without having this fat pad there might be inferior shock absorption which can lead to quite a few disorders on account of that poor cushioning. The most typical is probably discomfort under the heel. This is not a frequent reason for heel pain, but is a crucial one since it can often be mistaken for heel spurs or other causes. Usually it is not difficult to identify as there is basically no padding beneath the heel bone and you could easily feel the heel bone.
Causes of Fat Pad Atrophy:
The reasons are not entirely clear. The fat pad will waste away with age normally and in many it just atrophies even more at a faster rate. Many people simply apparently develop this and others don't. It's not related to bodyweight issues. It could occur in a few rheumatological conditions and runners because of the numerous years of pounding on the heel might be at a greater risk for this. Those with a higher mid-foot foot (pes cavus) also get a displacement of your fat pad which often can give a comparable difficulty to the atrophy.
Treating Fat Pad Atrophy:
The only way to take care of fat pad atrophy would be to replace the fat or alternative to the fat. This can be injected in surgically or a cushioning heel pad within the footwear used which has a similar consistency like the absent fat pad. Padded shoes can also be used without or with additional cushioning. Surgically this could be an injectable fillers or an autograft utilizing your own fat cells from other body parts.