Kor said that patients with heel fat pad atrophy often do well with viscoelastic orthotic devices, heel cushions, and heel cups—and any material with at least 3 to 5 mm of cushion. Orthoses should also have a cushioned top cover, such as those made of closed-cell polyethylene foam.
Simple treatments, including rest, anti-inflammatory medication, ice and proper footwear can usually manage heel fat pad syndrome.
Hoka Bondi SR
“I recommend the Hoka Bondi for patients that need max cushioning, such as older patients that have fat pad atrophy (where the fat on the bottom of your foot thins) or arthritis,” says Parthasarathy.
First line of treatment involves rest and medications. Other conservative treatments include taping the knee, performing strengthening exercises, and anti-inflammatory injections. The anti-inflammatory injections soothe inflammation and help to shrink the Hoffa's fat pad.
Modern treatment usually involves replacing lost fat from another part of the body using aspiration and needle injection techniques. In these procedures, fat can be aspirated through special tubes 2-4 mm wide, then cleansed of debris before being reinjected into the face or other fat deficient areas.
Targeting the fatty pubic area through exercise can help reduce excess fat and strengthen the lower abdominal region. While exercise alone cannot target fat loss to specific body parts, a combination of cardiovascular exercises to burn fat and targeted strength training can improve the appearance of FUPA.
An exercise program may help treat muscle atrophy. Exercises may include ones done in a swimming pool to reduce the muscle workload, and other types of rehabilitation. Your health care provider can tell you more about this. People who cannot actively move one or more joints can do exercises using braces or splints.
Conservative Treatments
Experts say the mainstays of treatment for heel fat pad atrophy are custom-molded foot orthoses with padding, shoes that provide padding and support for the feet while walking, and heel cups or cushioned socks that help reduce the impact of walking on the foot.
Do podiatrists recommend Hokas? Many podiatrists recommend Hokas, thanks to their solid balance of support and cushioning, wide toe boxes, and rocker bottoms.
More recently, treatments to rebuild the fat pad cushion are being explored. One approach is to replace lost adipose tissue via the process of fat grafting. Another option is the use of injectable dermal fillers. The goal of each of these is to replace the loss in volume that has occurred.
Usually, patients with heel fat pad atrophy choose viscoelastic orthotic devices, heel cushions, and heel cups. These are the best shoe inserts for fat pad atrophy as they cushion the foot and minimize all pain.
Fat Pad Atrophy can be distinguished from plantar fasciitis by the location of the pain. If the pain is located in the center of the heel it's probably Fat Pad Atrophy and if it's found where the arch and heel meet, it's more likely plantar fasciitis.
The main sign or symptom of infrapatellar fat pad syndrome is pain. It may feel like a burning or aching sensation, usually at the front of your knee, around the bottom of your kneecap. You may have some swelling on your kneecap too, and you may not be able to move your knee as well as usual.
The cost ranges $800 – $1600 per injection.
How long will it take to recover? Initial recovery can take between 8-12 weeks and full recovery between 3-6 months (6, 7). If left untreated, symptoms can return if you go back to usual activities, without having gone through an appropriate rehabilitation programme (6).
Disuse (physiologic) atrophy is usually reversible, but it won't happen overnight. You can recover from muscle atrophy by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. You may start seeing improvement after a few months, but it may take much longer for you to fully recover your strength.
How long does dilator treatment take? This can vary from person to person. It usually takes around four to six months to elongate the vagina. If someone is sexually active the vagina will remain fully stretched so there is no need to continue using the dilators.