Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy & Foot Care — Supporting Cancer Patients in Michigan

When Cancer Treatment Affects Your Feet

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most common and distressing side effects of cancer treatment. Taxanes, platinums, and vincristine damage the peripheral nerves serving the feet, causing pain and disability that can outlast cancer treatment itself. At Balance Foot & Ankle, we provide specialized foot care for Michigan cancer patients experiencing CIPN.

Symptoms of CIPN in the Feet

Burning or shooting pain in both feet, numbness and tingling (often “walking on pins”), extreme sensitivity to light touch or temperature, balance problems from impaired sole sensation, weakness in intrinsic foot muscles, and difficulty with movement requiring fine foot coordination.

Foot Safety During Chemotherapy

CIPN numbness means patients may not feel injuries — requiring the same protective approach used for diabetic neuropathy: regular foot inspection, protective footwear, cushioned orthotics for numb soles, and avoidance of bare-foot walking.

MLS Laser and EMTT for CIPN

Emerging evidence supports MLS laser therapy for neuropathic pain reduction and nerve healing support. EMTT provides complementary deep electromagnetic nerve stimulation. Both therapies can significantly improve quality of life and symptom management during and after treatment, even when they can’t reverse nerve damage.

We work with oncology teams across Michigan. Call (810) 206-1402. Howell and Bloomfield Hills offices.

Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: Foot Care for Michigan Cancer Patients

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects 30–40% of patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy agents — including platinum compounds (oxaliplatin, cisplatin), taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel), vinca alkaloids (vincristine), and bortezomib — and represents one of the most distressing side effects of cancer treatment. CIPN manifests in the feet as burning pain, tingling, numbness, cold sensitivity, and impaired proprioception that reduces balance and increases fall risk. The severity ranges from mild paresthesia that does not limit function to severe sensory loss that impairs gait and requires dose reduction or discontinuation of chemotherapy. Balance Foot & Ankle provides specialized foot care for Michigan cancer patients experiencing CIPN, working in coordination with oncology teams to optimize foot health during and after chemotherapy.

The podiatric management of CIPN focuses on symptom management and complication prevention rather than cure — CIPN cannot be reversed by podiatric intervention, but its consequences can be significantly mitigated. Key interventions include: comprehensive sensory testing to quantify the degree of protective sensation loss and document change over time; fall risk assessment and footwear recommendations that improve stability for patients with compromised proprioception; skin and wound management protocols for patients with anesthetic feet who cannot detect traumatic injuries; and MLS laser therapy, which emerging evidence supports for partial improvement of CIPN symptoms through its effects on neural mitochondrial function. Michigan oncology patients experiencing foot neuropathy symptoms should discuss podiatric referral with their oncologist, or call Balance Foot & Ankle directly at (810) 206-1402 to schedule a CIPN foot evaluation at our Howell or Bloomfield Hills office.

Michigan cancer patients experiencing CIPN who are struggling with balance, falls, or the inability to feel the ground beneath their feet should receive both oncological co-management and podiatric care. The fall risk from CIPN is significant and often underappreciated: loss of proprioception (position sense) in the feet is more dangerous for balance than loss of pain sensation, and CIPN-related falls in cancer patients can cause serious injuries that complicate cancer treatment and recovery. At Balance Foot & Ankle, we assess proprioceptive function in cancer patients and recommend specific footwear modifications — rocker soles, wider heel counters, textured insoles that improve tactile feedback — that partially compensate for proprioceptive loss. Michigan oncology patients with CIPN foot symptoms are encouraged to call (810) 206-1402 for a specialized evaluation that addresses both symptom management and fall prevention.

Related Treatment Guides

• Diabetic Foot Care & Neuropathy
• Plantar Fasciitis & Heel Pain Treatment
• Custom 3D Orthotics
• Sports Foot & Ankle Injury Treatment

Michigan patients experiencing these symptoms are encouraged to call Balance Foot & Ankle at (810) 206-1402 to schedule an evaluation at our Howell office at 4330 E Grand River or our Bloomfield Hills office at 43494 Woodward Ave #208. Same-week appointments are available for most conditions, and our clinical team brings the diagnostic expertise and treatment options needed to address complex foot and ankle presentations that have not responded to prior care. Don’t continue to defer treatment — early evaluation leads to earlier resolution and prevents the complications that years of untreated conditions can cause.

Medical References & Sources

• NIH NINDS — Peripheral Neuropathy
• American Diabetes Association — Neuropathy
• PubMed Research — Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment

Your Board-Certified Podiatrists

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM

Board-Certified · FACFAS

Dr. Carl Jay, DPM

Board-Certified Podiatrist

Dr. Daria Gutkin, DPM

Podiatrist

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM is a double board-certified podiatrist and foot & ankle surgeon at Balance Foot & Ankle Specialists in Southeast Michigan. With over a decade of clinical experience, he specializes in heel pain, bunions, diabetic foot care, sports injuries, and minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Biernacki is a member of the APMA and ACFAS, and his patient education content on MichiganFootDoctors.com and YouTube has reached over one million views.