Under the bottom of the heel bone is a fat pad which normally cushions us and safeguards us while we walk and run. Whenever walking, there is a strain equal to around in excess of 2 times bodyweight on the calcaneus during heel contact, so it should really be no surprise that we need to have that fat pad. This load is even larger when running. Without having that fat pad there could be inadequate impact moderation which can lead to numerous disorders as a result of this inadequate cushioning. The commonest is merely pain under the rearfoot. This is not a frequent reason for heel discomfort, but is a crucial reason as it can often be wrongly identified as heel spurs or other causes. Typically it is simple to identify as there is just no shock absorption under the heel bone and you could easily feel the calcaneus.
The things that cause Fat Pad Atrophy:
The reasons are not totally obvious. The fat pad does waste away as we grow older normally and in a few it simply wastes far more at a faster rate. Some people just appear to acquire this yet others don't. It is really not linked to body weight problems. It might take place in a number of arthritis type conditions and runners due to the years of thumping on the heel may well be at a greater risk with this. Those with a higher arched foot (pes cavus) will also get a movement of your fat pad which often can give a similar problem to the atrophy.
Treatments for Fat Pad Atrophy:
The only way to handle fat pad atrophy will be to replace the fat or substitute for the fat. This can be injected in surgically or even a shock reducing heel pad within the footwear used which has a similar nature like the absent fat pad. Shock absorbing shoes may also be used with or without added padding. Surgically this can certainly be an injectable fillers or an autograft making use of your very own fat cells.