Fat Pad Atrophy Treatment [Causes, Ball of the Foot & Heel Pad Atrophy]

Do you have fat pad atrophy in the bottom of your foot? We go over the best shoe inserts for fat pad atrophy, fat pad atrophy treatment & more.

Look!

  • We go over fat pad atrophy causes & symptoms.
  • We go over fat pad atrophy ball of foot & heel fat pad atrophy treatment.
  • We also include the BEST shoe inserts for fat pad atrophy & the BEST shoes for fat pad atrophy.

So Let’s GO!

Fat Pad Atrophy Treatment Video:

The following video focuses on metatarsal fat pad atrophy and ball of the foot pain.

The rest of this post goes over fat pad atrophy in the ball of the foot, heel and bottom of the foot.

Fat Pad Atrophy Causes:

The following are possible foot fat pad atrophy causes:

 

High Arched Feet: High arched feet are more likely to result in pressure in the ball, the foot, and the heel. These high arched feet are more likely to be associated with calcaneal fat pad atrophy and ball of the foot fat pad atrophy. 

Diabetes: Diabetes is more likely to be associated with thinning the fat pad in the foot and heel ball. This is especially common in those who suffer from peripheral neuropathy.

Age: Age is one of the most common causes of fat pad atrophy. If someone is young, it is unlikely that they are suffering from fat pad atrophy. As a result, those who are older or more likely to suffer from fat pad atrophy.

Steroid injections: This is a from 1 or 2 steroid injections, but a large number. In our experience, this is rare unless someone has had 10+ or more injections.

Rheumatoid arthritis: Those with rheumatoid arthritis lose the fat pad in the ball of the foot and heel, and the toes turn outwards.

Genetics: Genetics play a large role in fat pad atrophy as well.

Overpronation: Overpronation means that your foot is turning outward. This can lead to the ball of the foot and the heels or bring her pressure into the fat pad.

Medications: Long-term use of oral steroids can also cause fat pad atrophy in the foot and heel ball.

Anatomy: A more prominent ball of the foot is more vertical heel bone is more likely to put pressure onto the heel ball of the foot. This eventually leads to fat pad atrophy if not controlled.

Cavus foot type vs pes planovalgus foot type heel pain 1
Fat pad atrophy is more likely to be caused by a high arched foot.

Fat Pad Atrophy Symptoms:

The most common fat pad atrophy symptoms are:

  • Pain in the bottom of the heel can result from heel plantar fat pad atrophy. This pain starts out feeling okay, but it starts to feel worse as the day goes on.
  • Pain can also occur in the ball of the foot. This is called metatarsalgia caused by plantar fat pad atrophy in the ball of the foot.
  • Fat pad atrophy feels worse while standing barefoot.
  • It feels worse while standing for long periods of time.
  • It feels like an unpadded rock can be under the ball of your shoe or a near heel.
  • It is usually associated with thick calluses formed over your metatarsal heads in the ball of the foot.
  • Is usually associated with callus formation along your heel.
Heel pad syndrome treatment & heel pad symptoms

Types of Foot Fat Pad Atrophy:

These are the most common types of foot fat pad atrophy.

Heel fat pad atrophy:

  • The most common site of pain from fat pad atrophy that we see is the heel. There can be many different types of heel pain.
  • The most common causes of heel pain are plantar fasciitis.
  • We do offer procedures for heel fat pad fillers in our office.

Fat pad atrophy ball of foot:

Calcaneal fat pad atrophy:

  • Another name for heel fat pad atrophy is calcaneal fat pad atrophy. The calcaneus is the medical name for the heel bone.
  • This is a common source of fat pad atrophy in older patients and is more common with high arched feet.
  • We do offer procedures for calcaneus fat pad fillers in our office.

Foot Fat Pad Atrophy Treatment:

The following are some of our favorite foot pad atrophy treatments.

Fillers for fat pad atrophy:

If some of the earlier foot fat pad atrophy treatments don’t work, fillers for fat pad atrophy may work well!

  • Research shows that dermal fillers and fat fillers for fat pad atrophy can be very effective.
  • Fat pad atrophy augmentation can be a treatment that is considered for feet that are missing fat padding.
  • We consider fat pad atrophy augmentation and fillers for fat pad atrophy in the following:

Heel fat pad atrophy fillers:

  • The most common site of pain from fat pad atrophy that we see is the heel. There can be many different types of heel pain.
  • The most common causes of heel pain are plantar fasciitis.
  • We do offer procedures for heel fat pad fillers in our office.

Fat pad atrophy ball of foot fillers:

Calcaneal fat pad atrophy fillers:

  • Another name for heel fat pad atrophy is calcaneal fat pad atrophy. The calcaneus is the medical name for the heel bone.
  • This is a common source of fat pad atrophy in older patients and is more common with high arched feet.
  • We do offer procedures for calcaneus fat pad fillers in our office.

Fat Pad Atrophy Physical Therapy:

  • Another option for the bottom of the foot pain is fat pad atrophy physical therapy.
  • We see a strong correlation between stiffness and pain along the bottom of the foot.
  • Physical therapy will not make your fat pad atrophy reverse itself, but it can strengthen the supporting muscles and increase flexibility.
  • The video above details exercises and stretches that can greatly help with fat pad atrophy pain relief.

The Best shoes for fat pad atrophy:

  • The best shoes for fat pad atrophy consist of offering cushion and flexibility.
  • Most feet that have fat pad atrophy are more rigid and lack cushion.
  • We list some of our favorite shoes for fat pad atrophy below.
Best Pes Cavus Shoes

Best Women’s Shoes for Fat Pad Atrophy:

The following are our best women’s shoes for fat pad atrophy:

Follow this link for fat pad atrophy women’s shoes.

women running shoes
Click the image above for the best recommended women's shoes for fat pad atrophy.

Best Men’s Shoes for Fat Pad Atrophy:

The following are our best men’s shoes for fat pad atrophy:

Follow this link for fat pad atrophy men’s shoes.

Best men's Plantar fasciitis shoes
Follow this link for the best fat pad atrophy men's shoes.

Best Shoe Inserts for Fat Pad Atrophy:

The best shoe inserts for fat pad atrophy are custom orthotics made by a qualified podiatrists.

If you are in Southeast Michigan, we would love to see you. Many insurance plans cover custom orthotics.

This means that a metatarsal pad with a strong shell combined with a soft topper. We focus on a deep heel cup and a strong supportive arch.

Best Orthotics for overpronation

Over the Counter Fat Pad Atrophy Insoles:

If you are unable to go see your podiatrist. These are our favorite over the counter fat pad atrophy insoles:

Fat Pad Atrophy Cushioned Socks:

The following are some of our favorite fat pad atrophy cushioned socks:

Recommended fat pad atrophy socks that can help:

Best Women’s Fat Pad Atrophy Socks:

Click this link to see a recommended women’s fat pad atrophy sock selection.

Best Men’s Fat Pad Atrophy Socks:

Click this link to see a recommended men’s fat pad atrophy sock selection.

Foot Fat Pad Atrophy Surgery:

  • At Prime Foot and Ankle Specialists of Michigan we do offer minimally invasive foot procedures.
  • This does involve dermal fillers which can last for between 6-12 months.
  • These dermal fillers are unfortunately not always covered by all insurance plans, but there are numerous different treatment options that are podiatrist can discuss with you.
  • Please call our office to ask for more information and come for an evaluation for fat pad atrophy surgery with foot fillers.
  • Contact our office for more details.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is fat pad atrophy?

Patients frequently ask the question, “what is fat pad atrophy?” This is the loss of her natural fat pad to either the ball of your foot, your heel, or calcaneus.

What causes fat pad atrophy?

The most common cause of foot fat pad atrophy that was seen is age. Usually, most people with plantar fat pad atrophy are fragile and usually well over 65 years old. There are many other common causes, such as having a high arched foot, having diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or other systemic disorders.

How do you treat fat pad atrophy?

We usually have success in treating fat pad atrophy. Firstly we do this with the best fat pad atrophy shoes. Secondly, we do this with the best orthotics for fat pad atrophy. And thirdly, we do this by focusing on fat pad atrophy physical therapy and exercise to loosen the joints. Finally, we can consider minimally invasive surgery and fat pad atrophy fillers if this is not getting better. It is rare to need surgery for fat pad atrophy.

Can fat pad atrophy be reversed?

Patients sometimes ask the question, “Can fat pad atrophy be reversed?” Generally, it is challenging to grow back a plantar fat pad. There are options for fat pad atrophy fillers. We have a lot of success avoiding surgery, but sometimes it is necessary to use a dermal filler for fat pad atrophy.

Is there a fat pad atrophy cure?

There is never a perfect fat pad atrophy cure. On the other hand, we successfully manage and treat the symptoms with the fat pad atrophy treatments detailed above.

What to do about fat pad atrophy?

We usually have the most success with conservative non-surgical therapies. Studies should impersonal experience shows that this can be extremely effective.

Best Shoes & Best Insoles