I have lost the fatty pad on my soles and I stand for 6 hours a day. I have been to a private podarist and he has made me a temporary insole.
That has helped. I can no longer feel a lump and the pain in my heal has gone but when standing at work I am having pain in my arch in my right foot.
Has anyone here had experience of losing thrircpadding in their feet and using insoles.
Sounds familiar. What causes it? I'm really struggling with painful feet 😫.
I was told that my ra had cause the loss of fatty pad.
And I was told to get running shoes. Just received them tonight.
And the private podarist has made a temporary insole.
Have you thought about seeing a podiatrist.?
Hi,
My son has this. He has always struggled with pain in his feet and finally when he was 16 he was diagnosed with fat pad atrophy. His is caused by Ehlers-Danlos syndrome though.
He has custom made insoles from the NHS as well as custom made boots also from the NHS. we have a lovely orthotist that we see locally.
He finds using a walking stick helps with his weak ankles because when he pronates the calcium bone goes on the side and bit and makes the pain even worse. He is a part time wheelchair user too, so if he has to be on his feet for a long time or walking, then he will use the wheelchair.
And if the wheelchair isn't appropriate he has a little camping stool that he can carry around with him.
There isn't anything other than that that they can do for him. but he has come to accept it. His wheelchair has carbon fibre mud guards which is pretty cool for a kid!
I’ve had foot surgery and my foot straightened to stop pain, and party feet injections as well as Nueroma removed. A lot of problems with my left foot only though. It might be worth asking about part feet injections by a surgeon.
I have this problem too and also found only a little relief with insoles. Podiatrist recommended Hoka or Saucony shoes. I am now on my third pair of Hoka Bondi. They are hideous but genuinely plush underfoot and really help me. Maybe worth a try-look for max softness and minimum ‘support’ as support translates to rigidity.
I have found the insole has stopped the pain in my sole and my heel pain but I have pain in my arch when wearing work safety shoe which I have to wear.I have brought a pair of running shoes. I am wearing them now. They are very comfortable.
I was wearing extra wide deep torso box boots before.
This has happened to me. I go to a podiatrist every 5 or 6 weeks. Found her thro Age UK, very good and reasonably priced. Can no longer wear smart shoes and haven't been able to for a number of years. This is when trainers, if you can find comfortable ones, very helpful. No idea what causes the break down of the pad on the sole of feet. Good luck with finding comfortable shoes.
I have brought some running shoes and they are very comfortable . Asisic make. As advices by podarist. Told not to buy Nike. The nras has a video on feet and they say do not buy skechers.
I know what you mean about not being able to wear smart shoes. Since getting ra in my foot I have not worn a dress.
I've never bought Nike, and so far have been lucky with the trainers! Like you tend not to wear skirts or dresses. Ģood luck.
Hi Cheesechurch - did your podiatrist help you buy that brand? Thought I would have a look at their website but was informed that I wasn't allowed access.
The brand was recommended by my podiatrist. I brought it on line.
Oh I gave up on smart shoes years ago. Now I wear ECCO trainers all the time. Although I’ve got a pair of very comfortable long boots too. I’ve got ECCO GoreTex walking trainers at the moment. They are expensive though but they are pretty much all that I wear at the moment so I don’t really grudge them. I’ve got a pair of sketchers instead of slippers - they just look like regular shoes.
I also have ASICS, they are very comfortable, I bought mine a few years ago when I got plantar fasciitis- only problem with them, well two problems, one is that they are not waterproof and the other is that they are day glow orange but perfect for the plantar fasciitis. Hope you find something to help soon.
I lost the padding under my 2&3 metatarsal joints, the tips of these joints have been eaten away only leaving a small bit left which felt like a snall stone i was walking on. I had that for about 15 years, infection on and off because of it and In December 2022 I got an infection that bad it travelled to my 2nd toe and they had to remove it in January 2023, they said that the head of the joint was trying to work its way out underneath. I now have this gaping hole that goes from underneath to the top only covered by a tiny bit of skin and now the 3rd metatarsal is causing chaos, no infections yet thank to the insole I have and regular visits with my podiatrist, insoles make the world of difference especially if made properly.
Wow - that's dramatic. I have been hobbling for a couple of years now. I had a totally pointless appointent with podiatrist through GP (I thought I was going to be seen by the one referred by rheumatology) who poked about and said I didn't have much padding then told me to buy some cheap insoles off amazon even though I already had soe good Vasily ones. The amaozon ones were truly awful and actually hurt my feet and it took a week to recover.
Anyway, recently I did see the podiatrist through rheumatology who did scans and said that I had a large fibroma (which I knew) and fluid under both heels probably cause dby my 'underlying condition'. I had been told then that I would get another appointment at the beginning od December which, never materialised. I had asked for better insoles as I had had to do my own research and and take advice from various websites but wanted to be properly fitted.
I have some hypermbolitiy too and coinciddently the scanning appointment was carried out by the podiatrist my daughter sees: she has very bad hypermobility especially in her feet and sees him usually every 6 months - but when I asked what could be done for me the replies were all very vague and I still don't know if I will ever get any help.
I have looked up fat pad atrophy and it would appear that is what I have. Anyway, there are some days when I can only shuffle and this happened after work the other day when walking the 10 minutes to my car - something I like to do as I don't want to seize up and can't go joggin any more. It was awful. I felt as though I need crutches.
When I read about the causes of this problem I don't tick any of the boxes apart from RA and hypermobitlity but I haven't actually been diagnosed with RA, rather Undifferentiated Inflammatory arthritis and now lupus - in fact I don't really know what I've got. My next appointment is in May and this time I am going to really put my - incredibly sore foot down - and tyr to get her to understand just how much pain I am in.
Really, really fed up at the moment.
So sorry to hear that you are in so much pain with your feet it has been going on too long no wonder you are fed up.My problems first started 2018 with my toes hurting. Went to doctor and told it was my veins but I have not got various vein in left foot. Told consultant when saw him and he just ignored me. Later went to NHS podarist and was told problem was due to toe protectors I wear at work and to wear shoe with deep toe box.
After lockdown 2021 my anckle in my left foot swelled up and was stiff, followed by redness and pain in heel both feet and I had scan and it showed active ra.
My tablets were then increased and I improved and started walking again with the ramblers.
Then I went on holiday and the Tue after I started having pain in my right heal and was told it was planta fishua by paramedic but the symptoms were not as described on anybody read on line. Had physio at the doctors and told him I do not think I have planta fishua and he said all pain in your heal is planta fishua and your heal is not red. I then showed him pictures of the feet when it was red and he said sometime ra can cause planta fishua and that I need a scan.
I had phone appointment with the rhumatrory nurse the day before and told her about my heal and I sent her photo and she phoned me back and said that they would look at the sheath. That was in August. Had scan end of November and he only looked at the top of my foot and part of the ankle. I then asked him to scan the bottom of my foot and it refused at first.
Said there is a lot if inflammation but not due to ra and planta fistula in both heal and bursitis in right foot. And arthritus in toes. And told the rhumatroid will not help me and that I need custom insoles.
Tried to get an appointment with doctor and reception will not let me see doctor and to see physio.
He said I have metatarasal in both feet and gave me toe exercise.
Saw NHS podarist in sep and insole were chosen and he said that he would send them to gave memory foam on them . Did not get them till the new year. I went on line and brought some special planta fistula insole from Amazon. They helped a .bit.
Eventually I booked an appointment with pri ate podarist and the got phone call from the NHS and cancelled my appointment.
I tried the new insole but they did not help with the pain in fact they made it worst.
Then I started to feel a lump went standing and so booked an appointment with private podiatrist and that were very helpful.
Sorry this is a bit long. I just wanted you to know I have had a bit of a journey.
I think the best thing is to see a private podiatrist and to get as advices by nras running shoes.
I also have hyper mobility too which has caused the inflammation and the planta fishua.
With good insole and good shoe I hope you will find relief from your pain and you will be able to walk better.
hi CC,
RA primarily affects my left foot, I’m on 15mg of MTX and trying to scale back on prednisone. Very slowly. I still feel the lump (inflammation) in my foot but it’s no longer painful unless I walk on hard surfaces barefoot. I’m on my second pair of Hoka Bondis. Yes they are ugly but feel fabulous. And I notice so many doctors in the hospital I used to work at wear them. The other shoes that are very comfortable are Clark’s Artisan Unstructured sandals. Although on the clunky side, you can still wear a dress or skirt with them. I hope you get some relief soon.
I lost the fatty pads on the balls of my feet over 30 years ago, I have R A and Lupus. Pain was so bad, I was basically walking on my bones! I saw a podiatrist at the hospital who made various insoles and supports for me but got so bad that I could barely walk. I ended up having all the metatarsal heads shaved back, it was a very painful operation but for me it was well worth it. I still wear specialist insole supports in my shoes but I had many years with almost pain free feet.
(I live in Skechers - I take the insoles out and pop mine in)
Good luck!
Painful feet
Poor feet
Painful feet
Pain in balls of feet
