Podiatrist in Brighton, MI | Balance Foot & Ankle

Do Brighton patients drive to Howell — or is there a closer option?

Most Brighton patients come to our Howell office at 4330 E Grand River Ave — about 10 miles and 12–15 minutes via I-96 West to the Grand River exit. If getting to the office is hard, we also offer in-home podiatry visits for homebound and limited-mobility patients across Livingston County, including Brighton and Genoa Township. Either way you see the same three board-certified podiatrists; the only difference is where we meet you.

The foot & ankle problems we see most from Brighton

Brighton is an active, outdoors town, and the injuries we treat tend to follow how people here spend their time. A few patterns we see over and over from this area:

• Ski and snowboard injuries from Mt. Brighton. Boot-top ankle fractures, high (syndesmotic) ankle sprains, and midfoot injuries pick up every winter once the hill opens. These are the ones you should not “walk off” — a high ankle sprain treated like an ordinary rolled ankle can stay painful for months.
• Trail and road running overuse from Island Lake, Kensington, and the Huron River trails. Plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and stress fractures are the classic Brighton-runner complaints, especially when mileage jumps in spring or shoes are past their life.
• Youth sports injuries. Between Brighton High athletics, Charyl Stockwell, and local travel teams, we see a lot of Sever’s disease (heel pain in 9–14-year-olds), sports fractures, and turf toe. Kids’ foot pain is worth checking early — growth-plate injuries don’t behave like adult ones.
• Summer lake-season foot problems. Around Woodland Lake, Ore Lake, School Lake, and Lake Chemung we treat puncture wounds and cuts from docks and lake bottoms, plus ingrown toenails and athlete’s foot that flare with barefoot summers — and these matter more, not less, for anyone with diabetes.
• Bunions, hammertoes, and everyday adult heel pain — the common problems that bring most Brighton adults in, treated conservatively first and surgically only when it’s genuinely the right call.

Whatever brings you in, the approach is the same: find what’s actually causing the pain, try the least-invasive fix that will hold, and be honest with you about whether surgery is or isn’t warranted.

Getting to our Howell office from the Brighton area

Our office is on the north side of Grand River Avenue in Howell, with free parking at the door. Rough drive times from around Brighton:

• Downtown Brighton / Main St: ~13 min — I-96 W to Exit 137 (Grand River Ave), then west.
• Genoa Township / Lake Chemung: ~10 min west on Grand River Ave.
• Green Oak Township / US-23: ~18 min via I-96 W.
• Hartland: ~15 min via M-59 to Pinckney Rd / D-19.

Address: 4330 E Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 · Phone: (810) 206-1402 · Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–4:30 PM.

Your Brighton-area care team

All three of our board-certified podiatrists see Brighton patients at the Howell office. You’re not routed to a single “location doctor” — you see whoever fits your problem and can get you in soonest.

Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS

Board-certified foot & ankle surgeon and founder of Balance Foot & Ankle. Focuses on bunion correction, heel pain, and reconstructive foot & ankle surgery. View bio →

Dr. Carl Jay, DPM

Podiatric physician treating the full range of foot & ankle conditions, with an emphasis on conservative, sports-medicine-minded care. View bio →

Dr. Daria Gutkin, DPM

Podiatric physician caring for adults and kids — diabetic foot care, nail and skin conditions, and pediatric foot problems. View bio →

Insurance & your first visit

We accept most major plans — Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, HAP, and Priority Health among them — and you don’t need a referral to book. Bring your insurance card, a list of medications, and the shoes you wear most; a lot of Brighton foot problems get clearer once we see how you actually load your feet. New patients can start on our new-patient page or by calling (810) 206-1402.

Brighton podiatry questions we hear a lot

Is there a podiatrist in Brighton, or do I have to drive to Howell?

Our nearest office is in Howell, about 12–15 minutes west of Brighton on I-96. There’s no Balance Foot & Ankle office inside Brighton itself. For patients who can’t travel, we also do in-home visits across Livingston County.

I hurt my ankle skiing at Mt. Brighton — do I need to be seen?

If you can’t put weight on it, it’s swelling quickly, or the pain sits high above the ankle rather than on the bump, get it checked — those point to a fracture or a high ankle sprain, both of which do worse ignored. We can usually see ski injuries the same week and image them in-office.

My child has heel pain from sports. Is that normal?

Heel pain in active 9–14-year-olds is often Sever’s disease, an irritation of the growth plate — common and very treatable, but worth confirming so it isn’t something else.

How fast can I get in?

Usually the same week, and often within a day or two for acute injuries. Call (810) 206-1402 and tell us what’s going on.

Serving Brighton and the surrounding Livingston County communities — Genoa Township, Green Oak, Hartland, Hamburg, Pinckney, and Whitmore Lake — from our Howell office. See both of our offices or our in-home podiatry visits.