The book
Managing Peripheral Neuropathy
A foot surgeon’s honest guide to burning, tingling, numb feet and what helps
By Dr. Tom Biernacki · 186 pages · more than 300 sources
Out now on Amazon in paperback, large print and Kindle
Have the book? Your printable tracker and worksheets are here.
Most neuropathy advice is either useless or for sale. Burning, tingling and numbness send people online, where the loudest answers are supplements, gadgets and “reversal” programs. Most have never been tested in anyone with neuropathy. A few were tested, and failed.
Dr. Tom Biernacki is a double board-certified foot and ankle surgeon who sees more than 100 patients a week. In this book he tells you what he actually does, labeled as his judgment, right next to what the research shows, and he keeps “never tested” apart from “tested and failed,” because the cheap things that help, like the right shoe or a metatarsal pad, rarely get a trial.
What’s inside
- What is actually going on. Your nerves in plain English, the causes worth testing for (some are treatable), the tests to ask for by name, and the warning signs that cannot wait.
- The things that move the needle. Shoes, inserts and socks that protect numb feet, a 12-week movement plan built for numb feet, how to stay off the floor, a two-minute daily foot check, better nights, and food without the fads.
- Pills, potions and devices, rated honestly. Supplements ranked by the evidence, the B6 mistake that causes the very symptoms people take it for, prescription pain relief, and laser, shockwave, TENS, spinal cord stimulators and nerve surgery, including the ones his own practice offers.
- More than 30 online trends, fact-checked. Red light, hyperbaric chambers, PRP, stem cells, low-dose naltrexone, magnesium sprays, grounding, methylene blue, GLP-1 shots and the AI-generated “doctor” ads.
- Living with it. Getting taken seriously in a short visit, Medicare and appeals, a chapter for the person helping, and eight composite patients who show how the pieces fit together.
- Tools you can use. A first-week plan, a seven-day tracker, a 12-week movement log, an appointment worksheet and a plain-English glossary.
Every treatment gets a plain rating
- Strong evidenceGood trials agree.
- PromisingEarly results look good.
- MixedTrials disagree.
- Never testedNobody has run the study, often because nobody owns the idea.
- Tested and failedSomebody ran it, and it did not work.
- My judgmentWhat Dr. Tom does, labeled as his.
- AvoidRisk without a payoff.
Printable tracker and worksheets
The tools from the back of the book, enlarged to fit regular letter paper: your first week, the seven-day tracker, the twelve-week movement log and the two-page appointment worksheet. Print as many as you like.
Download the printable tools (PDF, 5 pages)Finished the book? An honest review on Amazon, whatever you thought, helps the next person with burning feet decide whether it’s right for them. Write a review on Amazon
Start today, free
The free 33-page patient guide has the essentials in plain English, including a seven-day symptom tracker and a worksheet for your next visit. No sign-up.
Download the free patient guide (PDF)In Michigan? Dr. Tom and the team at Balance Foot & Ankle see patients with neuropathy in Howell and Bloomfield Township. Book an appointment online, call (810) 206-1402, or visit michiganfootdoctors.com.
This book and the free guide are general education, not medical care. They do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Talk with your own clinician before changing a medicine, supplement or exercise, and treat the urgent warning signs inside as a reason to be seen, not a reason to read on.