I know a number of runners and athletes who struggle with loss of the fat pad under their heels. It’s a fairly common problem as we age. Some people have more of a problem with this than others. Several weeks ago I received an email from John Marnell. He wanted to share what worked for him.
John is 73 years old and has run for 40 years. He’s done many marathons plus a period of ten years when he did ultras. He says, “I feel fortunate to still be sort of running.”
Here’s John story about his fat pad history and treatment.
“I thought my condition was plantar fasciitis and tried self-treatment for quite a while. Finally, with no improvement I went to a sports podiatrist who ordered an MRI. Results showed a severely diminished heel pad on the left foot. He wanted to try these additions to my orthotics before considering other treatments.
“It’s best described as a horseshoe shaped dense foam pad he cut and trimmed to fit and then glued them directly onto both orthotics. They keep the bottom of the heel from direct impact on the orthotic. Heel pain gone. I’ve used them for six months with continued success.
The pad is 3/16” thick at the back and along the sides of the orthotic, tapering slightly to fit, and cup my heel toward the center of the orthotic.”
This is a simple fix that could work for many people. You can see the horseshoe shaped pad on the heel of John’s insole. Any podiatrist or pedorthist could make the same thing for you. If you struggle with pain from the loss of your fat pads. Give this a try.
Thanks John for sharing your treatment and the picture.
