Millions of patients managing Type 2 Diabetes are experiencing life-changing health transformations thanks to modern GLP-1 weight loss medications. Dropping excess weight significantly reduces the strain on your cardiovascular system, improves blood sugar metrics, and lowers your risk for severe joint deterioration.
However, as the number on the scale drops, many patients are visiting clinics with a highly specific, frustrating complaint: they finally feel healthy enough to exercise and stay active, but their feet are suddenly in chronic pain.
If your heels or the balls of your feet ache intensely after losing a significant amount of weight, you are likely experiencing Fat Pad Atrophy. Keep reading to learn why your feet hurt more than they did before, plus how New England Podiatry can help you stay active.
The Disappearing Cushion
Nature equipped your body with a highly specialized suspension system.
- You have thick layers of biological fat located directly beneath your heel bone and under your metatarsal bones.
- These plantar fat pads absorb the mechanical shock of walking or running, and they protect your delicate skeletal structure from the hard ground.
When you undergo rapid weight loss, your body burns fat indiscriminately.
- It does not know you want to keep the protective padding on the bottom of your feet. As these specialized fat pads shrink and deflate, you lose your biological barrier.
- Walking barefoot on a hardwood floor suddenly feels like you are stepping directly on your skeleton or walking on marbles.
This deep, bone-level aching discourages patients with diabetes from staying active, which severely threatens their continued health journey.
The Clinical Replacement
Once your natural fat pad wears away, it does not naturally regenerate. To continue exercising and walking pain-free, you must replace the lost shock absorption mechanically.
Many patients attempt to solve this by purchasing soft gel inserts from the pharmacy. Unfortunately, generic foam compresses instantly under your body weight and fails to provide any structural offloading.
You need a medical solution tailored to your exact anatomy!
- Our board-certified podiatrists use advanced custom orthotics to serve as an artificial fat pad.
- We design these prescription medical devices to perfectly contour to your unique arch and foot shape.
- By utilizing highly specialized top covers and strategic pressure cutouts, custom orthotics physically suspend your prominent bones, relieving the severe localized pressure and absorbing the shock of every step.
Keep Your Progress Moving
You have worked incredibly hard to reclaim your health and manage your diabetes. Do not let foot pain sideline your progress! Let us build the exact support your foundation needs.
Dr. Catherine Jacobs, Dr. Zachary Sax, Dr. Joshua Oulette, Dr. Ronald Etskovitz, and Dr. Raymond Murano III of New England Podiatry Associates provide comprehensive medical and surgical care for a wide spectrum of foot and ankle conditions. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
