Circulation Guide is written by Dr. Tom Biernacki, who practices podiatry in Livingston and Oakland counties. If you are nearby and want a foot and ankle evaluation, this page explains what that visit covers — and, just as importantly, what it does not.
Ownership disclosure. Balance Foot & Ankle PLLC is owned by the author of this site. Recommending a local evaluation here is not an independent referral, and nothing on this page should be read as a reason to choose that practice over another. The medical information on Circulation Guide is written to be useful regardless of where you get care.
Who a podiatry visit may help
- A foot or lower-leg wound that is not healing, or a callus or blister that keeps returning
- Nails and calluses in a foot with diabetes, reduced sensation, or known artery disease, where self-care is risky
- Footwear and offloading problems — shoes that rub, pressure areas, a foot that changes size with swelling
- Numbness, burning or reduced sensation, and sorting nerve problems from circulation problems
- A first look at foot and skin findings when something vascular is suspected, and coordination onward from there
What a podiatry evaluation contributes — and what it does not
A foot and ankle exam can establish a great deal: skin and nail condition, sensation, pulses, pressure areas, wound characteristics, footwear fit, and whether a limb looks at risk. That assessment often decides how urgently something else needs to happen.
What it is not is a substitute for vascular care. A podiatrist is one member of a PAD care team, alongside primary care and vascular specialists. Arterial disease is diagnosed, medically treated and, where needed, revascularized by others. The honest framing is that podiatry protects the foot and helps recognize the problem; it does not treat the arterial blockage.
We are not listing which tests or procedures are available in-office, or what any plan covers, because those details change and we will not publish them until the practice has confirmed them. Ask when you call — the office can answer specifically.
What to bring
- Your current medicine list, with doses.
- Any prior results — ABI, ultrasound reports, vascular clinic letters.
- A short timeline: when the problem started, what makes it better or worse.
- The shoes you actually wear most days, not your best pair.
- The name and contact details of your primary care clinician, so findings can be sent back.
The two offices
-
Howell
4330 E Grand River Ave
Howell, MI 48843Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
(810) 206-1402 -
Bloomfield Township
43494 Woodward Ave, Suite 208
Bloomfield Township, MI 48302Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
(810) 206-1402
Booking is not an emergency channel
Appointment requests and phone messages are not monitored continuously. If a leg has suddenly become cold, pale, numb or severely painful, or if there is sudden breathlessness or chest pain, call 911. If one leg is newly swollen or a wound is spreading, go to an emergency department or urgent care rather than waiting for a callback. Care thresholds →
Common questions
Do I need to live in Michigan to use this site?
No. Everything else on Circulation Guide is written for a national readership and does not assume you are anywhere near Michigan. This one page is the local option, and it is deliberately kept to one page.
Will a podiatry visit check my arteries?
A foot and ankle exam includes checking pulses and looking for signs of reduced blood supply, and that often determines what needs to happen next. Whether any specific vascular test is performed in-office is a question for the practice, and we are not publishing an answer we have not confirmed.
Can you tell me if my insurance is accepted?
Not from this page — plan participation changes and we will not print something that might be out of date. Call the office with your plan details, and ask about the specific service as well as the plan.
Written by Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS. Published 20 September 2026. Practice details were taken from the Balance Foot & Ankle website on 20 September 2026.