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Expert Foot and Ankle Care Accessible from Lansing
Residents of Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett, Holt, Mason, and the greater Ingham County area will find expert, board-certified podiatric care conveniently accessible at Balance Foot & Ankle in Howell, Michigan. The drive from central Lansing to our Howell office via I-96 east to US-23 south is approximately 35–45 minutes, providing access to the full range of podiatric services without navigating a major medical campus.
Led by board-certified foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Thomas Bembynista, Balance Foot & Ankle offers same-week appointments for most conditions, direct access to surgical expertise, and a patient-centered approach that respects your time and prioritizes your goals. We treat everything from routine nail care and diabetic foot management to complex reconstructive ankle surgery.
Why Lansing-Area Patients Travel to Our Howell Office
The Lansing metro area has several podiatric practices, but patients seeking specific expertise — particularly in complex foot and ankle surgery, sports injury management, or specialized wound care — often find that specialty referral takes weeks or months within large health system networks. Our practice offers direct access to board-certified foot and ankle surgical expertise, typically with appointments available within days of calling.
East Lansing’s Michigan State University community generates a large volume of athletes — collegiate, recreational, and youth — who benefit from sport-specific foot and ankle expertise. The greater Lansing metro’s significant diabetes prevalence, driven partly by an older manufacturing workforce population, creates substantial demand for diabetic foot management services.
Conditions We Treat for Ingham County Patients
Diabetic foot care is a priority for our Lansing-area patients. Regular foot monitoring, nail care, wound evaluation and treatment, and diabetic footwear fitting all help prevent the serious complications that drive hospitalization and amputation in this population. We establish monitoring schedules for high-risk diabetic patients to ensure problems are caught before they become emergencies.
Plantar fasciitis, heel pain, and Achilles tendon disorders are extremely common in the Lansing community and respond well to our systematic treatment approach. Bunions, hammertoes, ankle instability, and arthritic joint conditions are all routinely managed with both conservative and surgical options.
Schedule Your Appointment
Don’t let foot or ankle pain limit your quality of life. Patients from Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett, Meridian Township, Delta Township, Holt, and Mason are welcome at Balance Foot & Ankle. Call (810) 206-1402 or book online. We look forward to providing expert care for Ingham County patients.
Foot or Ankle Pain? We Can Help.
Balance Foot & Ankle — Howell & Bloomfield Township, MI
📅 Book Online
📞 (810) 206-1402
Insurance Accepted
BCBS · Medicare · Aetna · Cigna · United Healthcare · HAP · Priority Health · Humana · View All →
Howell Office
3980 E Grand River Ave, Suite 140
Howell, MI 48843
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Bloomfield Hills Office
43700 Woodward Ave, Suite 207
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
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Your Board-Certified Podiatrists
Ready to Get Back on Your Feet?
Same-week appointments available at both locations.
Book Your AppointmentMore Podiatrist-Recommended Foot Health Essentials
Hoka Clifton 10
Max-cushion everyday shoe — podiatrist favorite for walking and running.
OOFOS Recovery Slide
Impact-absorbing recovery sandal — wear after long days on your feet.
As an Amazon Associate, Balance Foot & Ankle earns from qualifying purchases. Product recommendations are based on clinical experience; prices and availability shown above update live from Amazon.
When to See a Podiatrist
If foot or ankle pain has been bothering you for more than a few weeks, home care alone may not be enough. Balance Foot & Ankle offers same-week appointments at our Howell and Bloomfield Hills clinics — no referral needed in most cases. Bring your current shoes and a short list of symptoms and we’ll build you a treatment plan in one visit.
Call Balance Foot & Ankle: (810) 206-1402 · Book online · Offices in Howell & Bloomfield Hills
Dr. Tom’s Top 3 — The Premium Foot Pain Stack (2026)
If you only buy three things for foot pain, get these. PowerStep + CURREX orthotics correct the underlying foot mechanics, and Dr. Hoy’s pain gel delivers fast topical relief. This is the exact stack Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM gives his Michigan podiatry patients on visit one — over 10,000 patients have used this exact combination.
Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM is a board-certified podiatrist + Amazon Associate. Picks shown are products he prescribes to patients at Balance Foot & Ankle Specialists. We earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. All products independently tested + reviewed for 30+ days minimum. Last verified: April 28, 2026.
PowerStep Pinnacle MaxxDr. Tom’s #1 Brand
Dr. Tom’s most-prescribed OTC orthotic. Lateral wedge corrects overpronation that causes 90% of foot pain. Deep heel cradle stabilizes the ankle. Built by podiatrists, used by patients worldwide.
- Lateral wedge corrects pronation
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- Trim-to-fit any shoe
- Used by 10,000+ podiatrists
- Trim-to-size required
- 5-7 day break-in for some
CURREX RunProDr. Tom’s #1 Brand
3 arch heights for custom fit (Low/Med/High). Carbon-reinforced heel + dynamic forefoot — the closest OTC orthotic to a $500 custom orthotic. Engineered in Germany.
- 3 arch heights for custom fit
- Carbon-reinforced heel cup
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- Sport-specific support
- Pricier than PowerStep
- 7-10 day break-in
Dr. Hoy’s Natural Pain Relief GelDr. Tom’s #1 Brand
Menthol-based natural pain relief — Dr. Tom’s #1 brand for fast relief without greasy residue. Safe for diabetics + daily use. Cleaner formula than Voltaren or Biofreeze.
- Menthol-based natural formula
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- Cleaner ingredient list than Biofreeze
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- Strong menthol scent at first
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.
- Plantar Fasciitis: Diagnosis and Conservative Management (PubMed)
- Plantar Fasciitis (APMA)
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis (PubMed / AAFP)
- Heel Pain (APMA)