Podiatrist in West Bloomfield, MI | Balance Foot & Ankle

Podiatry services we provide for West Bloomfield patients

Here is what treatment actually looks like for the problems above — how we work each one up, and what tends to get settled in a single visit. Pick an appointment time online.

Diabetic foot care, neuropathy, and circulation

For an older population, the goal is catching things while they are still small. A protective foot exam here means a monofilament and vibration screen for peripheral neuropathy, pulse checks to see how well blood is reaching the toes, and careful attention to calluses and nail borders, which is where most diabetic wounds quietly begin. If sensation is reduced, you may not feel the blister or the seam that started it, so we look on your behalf. Anything open gets pressure taken off it and moved straight into active wound care rather than watched. Ongoing diabetic foot care is covered by Medicare for patients who qualify, usually every nine to ten weeks.

Heel pain and Achilles pain from daily walking

The West Bloomfield Trail and the loops around the lakes are wonderful for staying active and hard on tissue that has lost some of its elasticity. Pain that is sharpest for the first few steps in the morning, then eases and returns after a long walk, is the classic plantar fasciitis pattern. Pain and stiffness in the back of the heel points instead at the Achilles tendon, and the two are loaded very differently, so getting the distinction right matters more than the label. We examine, X-ray on site when the history warrants it, and build a plan around stretching, taping, footwear, and orthotic support — with an injection reserved for tissue that is genuinely inflamed. More on heel pain.

Orthotics for walking shoes, golf shoes, and everyday wear

Most patients here are not trying to get through a shift on concrete; they are trying to walk four miles, play a round, or keep up on the pickleball court without paying for it that evening. We scan the foot in 3D and build custom orthotics to the specific shoes you spend your time in, which is why a device made for a walking shoe rarely belongs in a golf shoe. Arches that have flattened with age (see flat feet) change how load travels through the foot, and correcting that mechanically usually does more than any amount of cushioning. Book an orthotics evaluation online.

Bunions, hammertoes, and arthritis in the foot

Bunions and hammertoes develop over decades, and by the time they hurt, the complaint is usually about shoes as much as pain. We begin conservatively — footwear that stops provoking the joint, padding, spacers, and orthotics to slow the deformity — and treat arthritis in the foot on its own terms, since a stiff, arthritic big toe joint needs a different plan from a drifting one. If a bunion has outrun conservative care, our board-certified surgeons offer minimally invasive correction through small incisions, which generally disturbs less soft tissue and allows a faster return to walking than a traditional open procedure. Book a surgical consultation online.

Lake season: cuts, puncture wounds, and summer skin problems

Barefoot summers around Cass Lake, Pine Lake, and Upper Straits Lake produce a predictable set of injuries. A puncture from a dock nail or something on the lake bottom deserves an actual look rather than a bandage, because material can stay behind in the wound and because wet, warm conditions favor infection — we image the foot when a retained fragment is a possibility and treat early rather than waiting for it to declare itself. Damp feet in and out of the water all season also bring athlete’s foot and plantar warts, both of which are far easier to clear when they are treated correctly the first time.

Nail care, fungus, and medical pedicures

Nails thicken and harden with age, and reaching them becomes genuinely difficult. Thick, discolored, crumbling nails are usually fungal, and we confirm that rather than assuming it before choosing among topical, oral, and laser treatment for toenail fungus — the right choice depends on how much nail is involved and what other medications you take. When the issue is comfort and hygiene rather than infection, our medical pedicure is performed in the office with sterilized instruments, which is a meaningfully safer option than a salon if you are diabetic or taking a blood thinner. Painful nail borders get ingrown toenail treatment, typically resolved in one visit.

Ankle sprains, unsteadiness, and stiff ankles

A rolled ankle that is still swollen a week later needs imaging rather than more ice. We X-ray to rule out a fracture — which matters more with age, since bone that gives way can masquerade as a bad sprain — then grade the injury and rehabilitate it properly so the ligament heals tight. Ankles that feel stiff and sore without any injury at all are often arthritic, and bracing, activity adjustments, and injections can keep you walking comfortably on one for a long time. If you have started feeling unsteady on uneven ground, that is worth mentioning at the visit; foot and ankle mechanics are a fixable part of it.

Book Your West Bloomfield Appointment

Request a visit at our Bloomfield Township office, a short drive east from West Bloomfield with parking at the door. Send this over and our front desk will confirm a time, usually the same week.

Nearby Communities We Serve

Along with West Bloomfield, our podiatrists care for patients across western Oakland County, including Farmington Hills, Commerce Township, Walled Lake, Bloomfield Township, Novi, and Waterford. Same-week appointments are available with Dr. Tom Biernacki and our team — request an appointment online or call (810) 206-1402.

Book online — pick the office that’s closer

Online booking is open 24/7. Choose your office below and you’ll pick your visit type and office, then choose from the next available times, without waiting for a callback:

• Book online at our Howell office →
  4330 E Grand River Ave, Howell, MI 48843 (Livingston County) — closest for Brighton, Hartland, Fenton, Pinckney and Fowlerville. Howell office details.
• Book online at our Bloomfield Township office →
  43494 Woodward Ave #208, Bloomfield Township, MI 48302 (Oakland County) — closest for Birmingham, Troy, West Bloomfield, Royal Oak and Rochester Hills. Bloomfield Township office details.

Same-week appointments are usually available at both offices. Prefer to talk to someone first? Call (810) 206-1402.

Not sure which of our two Michigan offices is closest? West Bloomfield Township patients are seen at our Bloomfield Township office in Oakland County. Our podiatrist near me page lists every city we serve from both locations, with full addresses, the conditions we treat, and what to expect at a first visit.