Under the bottom of the heel is a fat pad that by natural means cushions the heel and protects us as we walk as well as run. When running or walking, there exists a strain comparable to around in excess of 2 times body weight on the heel during heel contact, so it should really be obvious why we need that fat pad. This force is even larger whenever running. Without that fat pad there may be inadequate shock reduction and this can result in quite a few issues due to this poor shock absorption. The commonest is simply pain underneath the calcaneus. This is not a typical cause of heel discomfort, but is a vital reason since it can often be wrongly identified as plantar fasciitis or other disorders. Typically it is straightforward to identify because there is basically no shock absorption beneath the heel and you could easily feel the calcaneus.
Causes of Fat Pad Atrophy:
The causes are usually not completely clear. The fat pad does atrophy as we grow older by natural means and in a few it simply wastes more quicker. Some people just apparently develop this and others tend not to. It is really not connected with body weight issues. It may take place in a few bone and joint conditions and runners due to the years of thumping on the calcaneus may be at a higher risk with this. People that have a higher mid-foot (arch) foot (pes cavus) will also get a movement of the fat pad that may create a comparable issue to the atrophy.
Management of Fat Pad Atrophy:
The only way to handle fat pad atrophy will be to replace the fat or substitute for the fat. This could be implanted in surgically or a shock reducing heel pad inside the shoes used featuring a equivalent consistency to the absent fat pad. Cushioned footwear can also be used with or without additional cushioning. Surgically this may be an injectable fillers or an autograft making use of your own fat cells.