Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS 
Quick answer: Functional sports medicine optimizes performance and recovery by addressing the physiological root causes limiting athletes — creatine monohydrate increases strength 8% and muscle mass by an additional 1.37 kg over 4 weeks vs. training alone (Lanhers 2017 meta-analysis), collagen + vitamin C 60 minutes pre-exercise doubled collagen synthesis in tendons (Shaw 2017, American … Read more
TB Medically Reviewed by Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM — Balance Foot & Ankle PLLC · Board-Certified Podiatrist · Howell & Bloomfield Hills, MI Quick Answer Berberine’s reputation as a “natural metformin” for blood sugar control vastly understates its peripheral nerve pharmacology. In a landmark meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (2,569 patients), berberine reduced HbA1c by a … Read more
Quick answer: Functional psychiatry identifies the neurobiological, nutritional, and inflammatory root causes of mental illness — the SMILES trial (Jacka 2017, BMC Medicine) showed a Mediterranean diet reduced depression scores 32% more than social support control, with 32% achieving remission; exercise outperformed sertraline at 16 months in Blumenthal 1999 (Archives of Internal Medicine); EPA omega-3 … Read more
Quick answer: Functional sleep medicine identifies the root causes of sleep disorders — cortisol dysregulation, blue light circadian disruption, sleep apnea from airway anatomy and obesity, magnesium deficiency (68% of Americans consume less than the RDA), and HPA axis dysfunction. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is 80% effective and superior to sleep medication long-term … Read more
TB Medically Reviewed by Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM — Balance Foot & Ankle PLLC · Board-Certified Podiatrist · Howell & Bloomfield Hills, MI Quick Answer Honokiol — the primary bioactive neolignan from Magnolia officinalis bark — addresses diabetic peripheral neuropathy through three mechanistically unprecedented pathways: Sigma-1 receptor agonism at mitochondria-associated membranes (MAM) that stabilizes IP3R3-mediated … Read more
Quick answer: Functional allergy and immunology addresses the root causes of allergic disease — gut microbiome dysbiosis reduces oral tolerance and increases Th2 immune skewing, vitamin D deficiency (prevalence 40–70% in allergic patients) impairs regulatory T-cell function, and early microbial exposure (hygiene hypothesis) programs immune development. The LEAP trial (Du Toit 2015, NEJM) demonstrated 81% … Read more
Quick answer: Functional urology addresses BPH, recurrent UTI, interstitial cystitis, erectile dysfunction, and prostate cancer prevention through root-cause interventions — saw palmetto meta-analysis (Cochrane 2012: 30% urinary symptom improvement), D-mannose reduced UTI recurrence 85% vs antibiotics (Kranjčec 2014), L-citrulline supplementation improved mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction (Cormio 2011), and sulforaphane reduced PSA doubling time 86% in biochemical … Read more
TB Medically Reviewed by Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM — Balance Foot & Ankle PLLC · Board-Certified Podiatrist · Howell & Bloomfield Hills, MI Quick Answer Luteolin addresses diabetic peripheral neuropathy through three mechanisms that no other flavone targets simultaneously: it inhibits PARP-1 at the WGR domain (IC50 ~0.5 μM) to prevent hyperglycemia-driven NAD+ depletion from … Read more
Quick answer: Biological aging can be measured and modified — rapamycin extends lifespan in mice by 25% even when started at age 20 months (Harrison 2009, Nature), senolytics dasatinib + quercetin reduced senescent cell burden by 35% in a clinical trial (Kirkland 2019, EBioMedicine), and exercise training reduces biological age by 4–8 years on epigenetic … Read more
Quick answer: Functional environmental medicine addresses the accumulating body burden of heavy metals, mycotoxins (mold toxins), persistent organic pollutants (PFAS, phthalates, BPA), and endocrine disruptors that conventional medicine rarely measures yet profoundly impact health. Lead at levels previously considered safe impairs IQ and cardiovascular risk at blood levels >2 μg/dL — well below the CDC … Read more