Quick answer
Not at our practice. Balance Foot & Ankle is closed on Saturdays and Sundays; both of our offices, in Howell and Bloomfield Township, are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you have one of the emergency signs below, go to an emergency room now. For most other weekend foot problems, start home care, book online tonight, and we’ll see you early in the week — we keep same-day and next-day slots for urgent problems.
I’m Dr. Tom Biernacki. I’d rather be straight with you than have you drive to a locked door: we don’t see patients on weekends. What I can do is help you decide, right now, whether your foot needs an emergency room, an urgent care, or can safely wait for a weekday visit — and what to do in the meantime.
Go to the emergency room now if…
- a bone is showing through the skin, or the foot or ankle looks badly deformed after an injury;
- bleeding won’t stop after 15 minutes of firm pressure;
- the foot turns cold, pale or blue, or suddenly goes numb;
- you have a fever or chills with a red, hot, swollen foot, or red streaks running up the leg;
- you have diabetes and a foot wound that’s draining or smells bad, or comes with a fever;
- your calf is suddenly swollen, warm and painful, which can be a blood clot.
If you’re not sure, this guide to when foot pain needs emergency care walks through it. If you have diabetes, read when a diabetic foot problem needs the ER — waiting is riskier for you.
When urgent care is the right call this weekend
Urgent care is a good choice for problems that need an X-ray or a first look today but aren’t emergencies:
- An injury you can’t walk on. You twisted your ankle or foot and can’t take four steps, or pressing on the ankle bones or the outer edge of the foot is very tender. Those are the Ottawa ankle rules that emergency doctors use to decide who needs an X-ray; a review of 27 studies with more than 15,000 patients found they miss very few ankle and midfoot fractures (Bachmann et al., 2003).
- A cut on the foot that may need stitches.
- An infected ingrown toenail with redness spreading past the toe, or pus, when you don’t have a fever.
Take any X-ray report and discharge papers with you, and book a follow-up with us early in the week. Urgent care stabilizes the problem; we take it from there with a diagnosis, a walking boot or brace if you need one, and a treatment plan.
What can usually wait until Monday — and what to do now
Ankle sprain you can walk on
Rest it, ice it for 15 to 20 minutes every few hours, wrap it with an elastic bandage, and keep it raised above your heart when you can. Wear a supportive lace-up shoe rather than going barefoot. Book a visit if you still can’t walk normally after a few days — a sprain that isn’t rehabbed properly is a common cause of an ankle that keeps giving way. More on ankle sprain grades and rehab.
Ingrown toenail
Soak the toe in warm, soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes two or three times a day, dry it well and keep it covered. Wear roomy shoes or open-toed sandals, and don’t dig at the corner — cutting into it usually makes it worse. Book the first weekday visit; removing the ingrown edge is a short in-office procedure. Go to urgent care sooner if redness is spreading, and don’t wait at all if you have diabetes. See whether urgent care can help an ingrown toenail.
Sudden hot, swollen big toe joint
This is often gout. Rest and raise the foot, use a cold pack wrapped in a towel, and drink plenty of water. If your doctor has already given you a plan for gout flares, follow it. Call us when we open — a flare is very treatable, and the sooner it’s treated, the faster it settles. A fever with a red, hot joint is different: that can be an infection, so go to the ER. More on gout in the foot.
Stubbed or jammed toe
Ice it, raise it, and tape the sore toe to the one next to it with a little padding between them. Wear a stiff-soled shoe. If the toe looks crooked, the pain is severe, or blood under the nail is throbbing, have it looked at within a day or two. Here’s how to tell if a stubbed toe is broken.
Blisters
Leave an unbroken blister intact and pad around it. If it has popped, wash it, leave the roof of skin in place and cover it with a clean bandage. If you have diabetes or poor circulation, any blister is worth a weekday visit. See how to treat blisters on your feet.
Heel or arch pain
Heel pain that has been building for weeks isn’t a weekend emergency. Wear supportive shoes from your first step in the morning, stretch your calves, ice after activity, and book a weekday visit if it isn’t improving after a few weeks. Here’s how we treat heel pain at our Bloomfield Township office and heel pain in Howell.
How to get seen fast when we reopen
- Book online tonight. Online booking is open 24/7 for both offices. Choose New patient, then the first open day. New-patient times are released a few weeks ahead, so if nothing shows early in the week, go to step 2.
- Call when we open. Call (810) 206-1402 at 9:00 AM on Monday and tell us it’s urgent. We keep same-day and next-day slots for problems like infected ingrown toenails, injuries, gout flares and diabetic wounds, and morning calls are usually seen the same day.
- Do your forms ahead of time. Our new-patient forms can be filled out online, so your visit starts with the exam.
- Bring what you have. Your insurance card, a list of your medications, any X-rays or urgent care paperwork, and the shoes you wear most.
Most PPO plans don’t need a referral; some HMO plans, such as Blue Care Network, may. We check your benefits before the visit. No insurance, or we’re not in your network? Self-pay care is $200 for your first visit and $100 for each follow-up. The exam, X-rays, orthotics, and therapy are all included when they are medically necessary, and only surgery and diabetic shoes are priced separately. For more on quick weekday care, see when you need a same-day podiatrist.
Our offices and hours
| Office | Address | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Howell | 4330 E Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Closed Saturday and Sunday |
| Bloomfield Township | 43494 Woodward Ave #208, Bloomfield Township, MI 48302 | Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Closed Saturday and Sunday |
One phone number for both offices: (810) 206-1402. More about each office: our Howell office and our Bloomfield Township office.
Book the first weekday opening
Pick an office and a time online, any time. Choose New patient, then the first open day.
New-patient times are released a few weeks ahead, so the first days may show none — use the calendar to jump to the first green day, or call (810) 206-1402 when we open.
Frequently asked questions
Is Balance Foot & Ankle open on Saturday?
No. Both of our offices, in Howell and Bloomfield Township, are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. We’re open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and you can book online at any time.
Can I book a podiatry appointment online over the weekend?
Yes. Online booking for both offices is open 24/7. Choose New patient, then the first open day. If nothing shows for early in the week, call (810) 206-1402 when we open and tell us it’s urgent.
Should I go to urgent care or the ER for a foot injury on the weekend?
Go to the ER for a bone showing through the skin, a badly deformed foot or ankle, bleeding that won’t stop, a cold or blue foot, or a fever with a red, swollen foot. Urgent care is fine if you need an X-ray because you can’t take four steps after a twist or fall. Then see us early in the week.
What should I do about an ingrown toenail until Monday?
Soak it in warm, soapy water two or three times a day, keep it covered, wear roomy shoes and don’t cut into the corner. Go to urgent care if redness is spreading or you have a fever, and don’t wait if you have diabetes.
Do I need a referral to see a podiatrist?
Most PPO plans don’t require one. Some HMO plans, including Blue Care Network, may. We’ll check your plan before your visit.
References
- Bachmann LM, Kolb E, Koller MT, Steurer J, ter Riet G. Accuracy of Ottawa ankle rules to exclude fractures of the ankle and mid-foot: systematic review. BMJ. 2003;326(7386):417–419. Read the study.
Last updated September 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM is a board-certified foot & ankle surgeon (ABFAS & ABPM) 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 made him one of the most-followed foot & ankle educators on YouTube.