When you walk, does it feel like you're on a rocky surface, even when you're wearing comfortable shoes? Have you noticed corns or calluses forming on your feet? These problems could be the result of fat pad atrophy on your feet, due to aging or sudden weight loss. Here's why that happens and what you can do to prevent or treat the problem.
Natural Fat Pad Atrophy
As you get older, the pads of fat in your feet start to wear down. But why is that the case? Our feet are kind of like our favorite shoes. With time, the padded insoles in footwear stop feeling comfortable. If you remove them from your shoes, you'll notice that they look flat and worn out once you've worn those shoes for a long period of time. Unfortunately, the natural padding in our feet goes through the same process--it just takes longer to happen.
You see, with every year you spend jumping, walking, and running, you put a little more pressure on those fat deposits in the heels and balls of your feet. In response, that natural padding can wear down with time. It can even shift positions in your feet, leaving the bones of your feet unprotected, and vulnerable to the impact of every move you make.
Signs of Fat Pad Atrophy ![A man showing the bottom of his foot with fat pad atrophy]()
When your foot's natural padding has worn down or shifted, symptoms include:
- The feeling that you're walking on a rocky surface
- Walking barefoot is too painful, especially on hard surfaces such as stone or wooden floors
- Corns or calluses form deep within your feet
Typically, after several months of bothersome symptoms, patients come into our Powder Springs podiatry practice seeking relief. But sometimes, the loss of fat padding in your feet is a sudden concern. Typically, this kind of fat pad atrophy is associated with rapid weight loss, often because patients have been taking GLP-1 weight loss medications.
The Rising Problem of Ozempic Feet
Brand-name semaglutide medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy have become household names over the last few years. But as these medications have become more popular, we've also developed new terms to describe some of their less desirable side effects. Most recently, the term Ozempic feet has joined Ozempic face as a semaglutide side effect you want to avoid. But what does this term describe?
Basically, if you develop Ozempic feet, it means your rapid weight loss has sped up the natural process of fat pad atrophy in your feet. Some people are upset about this because it negatively impacts the appearance of their feet: the skin starts to sag, and the veins of the feet appear more prominent. However, as we reviewed earlier, losing your feet's natural padding is more than just a cosmetic concern. As such, symptoms of Ozempic feet also include foot pain; an increased risk for corns and calluses; and even a higher risk for foot ulcers, especially for patients who aren't receiving regular diabetic foot care.
Preventing Natural Fat Pad Atrophy
As you age, some loss of your feet's natural padding is unavoidable. However, if you take care of your feet throughout your life, you can help slow down wear and tear on your fat pads. To help support the health of built-in cushioning in your feet, you should avoid going barefoot whenever possible, but especially when walking on hard surfaces. Try to choose low-impact over high-impact exercises. Always wear supportive footwear, and avoid high heels whenever possible, since they compress the fat pads in your feet, leading to faster erosion. Finally, maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent fat pad atrophy. But if you need to take weight loss medication to reach your goal weight, you will also need to try and avoid developing Ozempic feet.
Preventing Ozempic Feet
When you lose weight rapidly, your skin may sag because it doesn't have enough time to contract as your fat wears away. And, while you can't control where fat loss will happen when you're taking semaglutide, you may be able to counter the effects of fat loss by building lean muscle. First, you can focus on increasing your protein intake each day. Eating more protein helps support stronger muscles throughout your body. And stronger foot muscles could help reduce pressure on the bones in the feet, reducing your risk for complications.
While you're adding protein to your diet, try to get some exercise, too. But instead of running or taking an aerobics class, work on strength and resistance training. These moves will have a lower impact on your feet. And, at the same time, they can help build up your muscles to reduce the impact of fat pad loss and to improve the appearance of the skin on your feet.
Treating Fat Pad Atrophy with your Podiatrist in Powder Springs GA
If you've already experienced fat pad atrophy, Dr. Alvin Cowans can help minimize your discomfort and prevent additional complications. For some patients, switching to more supportive footwear will provide sufficient relief. Others may benefit from adding soft gel pads to their footwear. And still, others can treat their fat pad atrophy--and improve their overall foot function--by getting fitted for a pair of custom orthotics.
Whether your feet are worn down due to aging or to recent weight loss, we're here to help! If you want to keep enjoying an active lifestyle, reach out to our office by calling 770-727-0614 or by following this link to make an appointment. When you come into our office, conveniently located in Powder Spring's Lost Mountain community, Dr. Cowans will create a customized treatment plan to reduce your pain and get you back on your feet!
