Does calcaneal fat pad atrophy cause pain when running?

I got a question during a telemedicine second opinion consultation with a runner over webcam.

He was worried that he had some fat pad atrophy in his foot and was getting heel pain as a consequence of that.

The fat pad atrophying in itself does not cause pain, but since the plantar calcaneal fat pad that cushions your skin under the heel bone really does prevent the skin from getting squished. Well, yes, you can definitely get pain if your fat pad gets atrophied.

Does calcaneal fat pad atrophy cause pain when running?

Well, that's what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.