Fat Pad Syndrome Taping | San Diego Sports Therapy

Fat pad syndrome taping is an effective way to ease the symptoms of fat pad syndrome. Fat pad syndrome is characterized by plantar heel pain that is worse when pressure is applied to the bottom of the heel. On the bottom of the heel, there is a substantial fat pad which protects our heel bone from impact. With repetitive force (jumping running, especially with less cushioned shoes, walking barefoot on hard surfaces) the fat pad can not sufficiently protect the heel and a bruise begins to form on the bottom of the heel. Also, as we age, our heel fat pad thins out and moves outward towards the bottom, sides of the heel. This results in less cushion around the bottom of the heel, and a greater chance of developing a bruise on the bottom of the heel with impact activities.

The goal with taping for fat pad syndrome is to centralize the fat pad over the painful point of the plantar heel as best as possible. Rock tape for fat pad syndrome is a great choice as rock tape sticks very well to the skin and can last from 1-3 days with proper care. KT tape for fat pad syndrome is also quite effective. The technique shown in the video is very simple for heel pain relief but often times can make a big difference!

Fat pad syndrome can be a standalone injury but often times we see it in conjunction with plantar fasciitis and other types of plantar heel pain. When patients are dealing with plantar fasciitis, they tend to walk in a way that avoids the painful plantar fasciitis point on the medial portion of the plantar heel. This abnormal way of walking/running, sometimes places more pressure directly on the bottom of the heel which can lead to the heel bone becoming inflamed. Patients sometimes are unsure if they have plantar fasciitis vs fat pad syndrome and as mentioned above, they may be dealing with both!

Give the fat pad syndrome taping a try, and see if it helps ease the symptoms. This strategy will need to be performed for several weeks so the heel can sufficiently heal!