Fat Pad Atrophy May Cause Heel Pain in Older Adults: MD Podiatrist
Bunions, corns, and curled-up hammertoes are among the more obvious causes of foot pain. But when it comes to your heels — a source of discomfort for almost 10 percent of adults age 50 and up — it may be less immediately clear. “Older patients often write it off as just another inevitable side-effect of aging or blame their heel pain on arthritis,” says Dan Michaels, DPM. “But the typical area of pain is not at a joint, so arthritis is likely not the case.”
For older adults, in particular, heels might hurt as a result of what’s known as fat pad atrophy. This condition occurs when the protective fat pad on the bottom of the heel and the ball of the foot thins, which leaves the heel bone with less of its natural cushioning. “The heels absorb the majority of the impact every time your foot hits the ground,” Dr. Michaels says. “So as the fat pad starts to decrease, heel pain can increase.”