Harvard Square Acupuncture and Massage

I went to see Bill Polk at a friend’s urging. My left foot was about to undergo all the usual stuff for pain… MRI…meds…maybe surgery… and I hated all the ideas. Bill took one look at me and said, «it isn’t your foot, it is your terrible posture.» He taught me some stretches, massaged my shoulders into submission, suggested different running shoes from the ones I trucked around in and I never heard from my foot again. Neither one. I pray for the man’s health and sanity as they don’t come any better!

Latoya is an attentive, experienced Massage Therapist who provides a relaxing atmosphere and integrates mindfulness into her practice. I have always had to tell other Massage Therapists to use more pressure, but they were still always too ginger with me, and I had never really had the experience of a real deep tissue massage. Latoya was wonderful. Solid pressure AND created a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere that inspired me to get back to my yoga practice that I had lost track of for about 6 months. I also must say that I injured my lower back a year ago, and no amount of PT has helped recover it. My back felt better than it had in a long while after my visit with Latoya. Latoya is my new go to Massage Therapist!

First of all, this review is just about Latoya. The other massage therapists here might be fabulous, so I apologize for bringing down the general rating…
I purchased a Groupon (for a one-​hour massage with Latoya) several months ago. I realized that it’s expiring in 14 days, so I called to schedule an appointment. She told me she had availability next weekend (my Groupon expires after that), but then asked why I didn’t redeem it sooner. I said «I guess I was just busy… I’m sorry, I didn’t think I needed to schedule a certain amount of time in advance.» (I also thought that was a weird thing to ask when she had availability – why does it matter then?) I was very polite, and she really took an aggressive tone, telling me not to interrupt her when I wasn’t interrupting her…
I’m totally mystified by the experience; I have no idea why she didn’t want to honor the Groupon — but she insisted I go and ask for a refund from Groupon (which is fine). I’ve never had such an unpleasant (and unexplained) experience with any service-​oriented professional before… and I thought the point of Groupons was to attract new customers! She wouldn’t tell me what had gone wrong; she was just in a hurry to dismiss me and get off the phone. So, basically, in 1 minute flat, she decided to refuse to honor my perfectly valid Groupon, even when she had availability. (Maybe she just overcommitted and didn’t feel like doing any more services at a discount?)
Lastly, she told me that she’s been charging people with expired Groupons a $ 15 charge to use the actual, non-​promotional value of the Groupon… which seems a little sketchy to me. I’m pretty sure that conflicts with Groupon’s guarantee that the actual value of the Groupon never expires. (In her case, it’d be the actual value minus $ 15.) So… beware!

I went to see Tricia to try acupuncture for a tweaked neck (it was my first time getting acupuncture). She made sure I understood what was going to happen, showed me the needles, briefly went over how it works (she was more than willing to elaborate on any areas I had questions about) and then asked what my major issue or reason for coming in was. All I can say is when I left my neck felt better than it had in a really long time, I was thoroughly impressed.

if any one has any kind of running injury please go here! they are genius and especially Bill Polk! he has a magic touch.
I hate physical therapists but Bill is not like any other physical therapist… i don’t know but he does some voodoo magic and if you follow his advice and stretches you will be fine in no time.
This is from my personal experience. I was down with the most extreme case of ITB injury 1 st week of Feb (I am training for Boston 2012) and i lost complete hope in my physical therapist or any icing or foam rolling. But I happen to bump into Bill Polk and in just 2 weeks from 0 miles of 6 weeks no running to 13 miles this past weekend. I am feeling so much better now.
And I was just going to take a cortisone shot since the MRI showed extreme inflammation in my ITB.
Thank you Bill

I created a Unilocal account just so I could review Nathan Polk.
Nathan is, hands down, the best masseuse I have ever had. I’ve had 50+ massages over the past 5 years, and I’ve found that most massages are light, relaxing… and totally worthless at helping my back pain. Nathan was completely different. I asked for a deep massage that helped my back pain, and Nathan really delivered.
The massage was the deepest I’ve ever had, and hurt in a very very good way. He immediately zeroed in on my problem spots — even ones I didn’t know about. Nathan really knows the human anatomy, and can figure out which body parts are interconnected and contributing to the pain. At the end of the massage, he spent extra time with me to show me exercises and stretches that would help with the pain and tightness. I paid for an hour massage and Nathan probably spent 75 minutes with me.
After the massage, my back felt significantly better. Unlike most massages, my back continued to feel better for at least a week.
I give Nathan an A+ if you like deep, functional massage. AMAZING.

I have had two massages with Nathan Polk and they were fantastic!
I’ve had massages before, and although they were relaxing, none of them relieved any of the back pain or tightness that I went in for. Nathan got to the root of the problem and also showed me stretches and weight lifting exercises that I should be doing at home to improve my posture and relieve the tension in my back.
I will definitely be going back again!

I’ve been to Harvard Square Acupuncture and Massage for both massage and acupuncture. I reviewed my acupuncturist Tricia Beretz separately, on her Unilocal page here:
. I think she’s great, and I highly recommend her — 5 stars! Her treatments are awesome and her prices are very reasonable. I love that she has online scheduling now too!
As for the massage, I recommend Nathan Polk. I’ve seen two therapists there and he is the one I would see again. He actually comes close to my favorite massage therapist, against whom I judge all others. He’s nice, approachable, and knows what he is doing. He incorporates stretching into the massage, which I think makes a big difference. He uses a good deep pressure when appropriate, which I appreciate. He’s also interesting and seems comfortable chatting with me during the parts of my treatment that I like to chat during. As of last time I saw him, Nathan didn’t have an online scheduler.
I also had a massage with another therapist there. It was ok. It was a nice, relaxing massage, but it wasn’t quite as deep as I would like. I also like to chat a little and she didn’t seem that interested in chatting.
I like the office space a lot. It’s relaxing and has a cool, zen vibe. There is plenty to look at (art, sculptures, photos) if you want, or you can just close your eyes and take in the calming music and smell of moxa in the air.
I’ve interacted with other practitioners in the waiting area and everyone is really nice. They also offer a special package that allows you to try different practitioners for a discount. I like that because then you can find the person who’s right for you without feeling weird about making an appointment with a different person after receiving service from someone else.
The downsides are. .. Each person is only available on limited days because they share rooms. Many of them have separate websites, which makes sense because they are all independent, but it’s a little confusing. I also think they should all have an online scheduler.
Make an appointment with Tricia or Nathan today! You will be glad you did!

Unless otherwise stated, if I am paying for an hour massage, I would like an hour massage.
I had a BWM voucher to receive an hour massage from Nathan. Nathan was pretty accommodating to my schedule and times I wanted to come in. Appointment making is pretty easy via email.
So the day of my appointment, I arrive 15 minutes early, since I figure, I am new and would probably have to fill out the new patient information sheet and have a mini consultation to what I am looking for.
So I arrive and there is not one around, I peak around but don’t venture too far. So I sit and wait. 10 mins goes by and I see some people but no one really acknowledges me.
Ok, whatever. I have until 5pm for my appointment. I get annoyed when people are late.
So its about a few minutes past 5, more people are in the room but no one says anything to me. I was just about to speak up when Nathan called my name.
So I fill out the form and we have a short consultation about what I want and what he’s going to do. Great.
Its about quarter past when I undress and my massage will begin. Its quite relaxing and I did fall asleep before I had to turn around.
When it was over, I looked at the clock and it says 6. so my massage was approx. 40 – 45 minutes. I felt ripped off.
After the end, Nathan was nice and showed me a calf stretch since he said mine were tight. It has been helpful!
Overall, it was a nice massage but I wish it actually went on for the entire hour and there were more of a reception staff to greet you when you walk in.

Bill Polk is great! He worked stretching as well as acupressure. I walked out with better posture then I walked in with. I even left with some stretches to do on my own.
I will be visiting again.

I’ve had neck and back issues for several years. I’d never tried deep tissue massage or acupuncture or any other such thing, so I figured I might as well give it a shot. I chose HSAM because their website described an appealing «Back to Balance Special» (click the «Special Offers» button), which gives you a discounted 4-​pack so that you can try several different treatments. That was perfect for me; I tried massage and both Chinese and Japanese acupuncture, all from different therapists.
Since then, I’ve been seeing Tricia occasionally for Japanese acupuncture, which seems to have improved my posture and generally made me more relaxed. Tricia’s always cheerful and genuinely interested, which helps you to forget that you’re being turned into a human pincushion. I wouldn’t call the results «dramatic» or «life-​changing,» but they feel worth the time and money.
You’ll notice that most reviewers talk about a single practitioner by name: HSAM is a pretty loose-​knit group of therapists working in the same office; there’s no receptionist, so be aware that when you call, you’ll be talking to whichever therapist is free (if any). You’ll probably find it easier to make an appointment by e-​mailing the individual therapist directly (see the Contact Us page on the website).
Oh, one other important note: Their tipping policy is clearly displayed in the waiting area on a sign that reads, «Tips are appreciated but not expected.» This is an excellent policy. Other places with similar list prices will often pressure you to give a tip.
Since there are so many 5-​star reviews here, I should explain why I’m not being utterly superlative: First, they really should modernize their website to more clearly describe their prices/​services and, ideally, allow appointments to be booked directly online; they’re still using paper appointment books. Second, the office is a bit chilly during colder months; while I admire their energy efficiency, more heat would be nice, considering that most of their treatments involve exposing lots of skin. These aren’t huge issues, but they’re enough to bump my rating down to 4 stars.

OK, so I never write reviews after only going somewhere once, but I am SO IMPRESSED with this place I just had to give them a shout-​out.
I’d been sitting with a low-​grade migraine for a couple of days and it occurred to me that I should just grow up and call someone to do something about it. I happened to be in Harvard Square, so I googled, found these guys, called and was immediately put on the phone directly with Valerie, an awesome acupuncturist. With a voice full of concern (we’ve never met and I wasn’t a current patient) she said «hey, what’s going on?» A few minutes later I was walking over to Arrow Street where Valerie met me outside and brought me in, we talked a long time about what’s going on with my body and stress levels, and she listened to everything I said.
She was very kind and gentle, explained what she was doing (which was completely fascinating), and put needles in all the right places. I walked out feeling so much better, migraine taken care of and a nagging shoulder problem feeling like it had received some serious tlc.
I’m going back next week!
Valerie is awesome and also, on my way out, I sat and talked with Samantha for a few minutes. Such generous, grounded, kind, cool people. It’s the sort of place I want to spend my time!

This is a great overall place if you’re looking for a way to destress for an hour or so. Most massage therapists I’ve been to at other establishments in the past were pretty cookie cutter and didn’t address the problems I’ve had with pain. This was not the case here. It was a very calming and welcoming environment, where they definitely put the customer above all else.
I’ve got to give a shout out to Rebecca. I saw her for hourly massages many times. I can’t say much about anyone else there, but she is very friendly and certainly addressed my problem areas in my back (due to my job sitting at a desk for too many hours). She’d start every session first by talking with me to address what was bothering me and pinpoint those areas. I’d visit her periodically for massages and she definitely worked out all the kinks and knots I had. I came out of every session very refreshed.
I’m upset I was relocated for my job, otherwise I’d still be coming to Harvard Sq. for my monthly massages to destress from work.

The massage therapist I was working with here (the lovely Alli Ross) has cut back her hours significantly in recent months, but I still wanted to review this place because everyone I’ve met here has been nothing but kind and genuinely passionate about helping people.
If you’re looking for someplace for true massage therapy & care, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better group of practitioners. It’s not a spa, but the bodywork here is way better, and the prices are less expensive. Plus — when you’re done, you can walk your totally relaxed self right across the street to BerryLine for a little frozen yogurt. You’ll feel just as pleased with yourself as if you’d spent a bunch of money for some upscale place downtown.
Also, and I hesitate to say this because it’s hard enough to get an appointment with her as is… BUT, if Alli starts taking more hours again, do try and get in to see her. I promise you will not regret it.

Great group of professionals! I saw Rebecca who did a fantastic job! I did not know massage could be so effective.

Bill’s the man! You really do need to see him. Just in general. Plus you’ll get a phenomenal massage and stretching routine.

You Need Bill Polk.
No really, you do. He can fix many muscolo-​skeletal problems, even ones other people say they can’t fix.
I know, because I am one of Bill’s oldest clients, and I send most everyone I know to him. Those who live here in Boston become regulars. People send their parents, their friends. People travel to see Bill. He’s that good.
Bill’s has developed his own modality that includes stretching and shiatsu – and though it’s the former that is really innovative, if Bill only gave you a massage you’d still love him. He’s also great for athletes, or anyone looking to enhance physical performance, even if you’re not injured or don’t have a problem per se. He used to be a boxer and martial artist, so he really understands how to help you in your training.
Bill’s not only a kind of genius about people’s bodies, he’s also a great person. He’s very calm, but energetic, and you’ll enjoy being around him. He can put most anyone at ease, even people who aren’t comfortable with non-​Western health care or with massage.

Bill Polk will become one of your top 5 favorite things about Boston. You’ll feel better and your life will be better. He’s that good. And an all-​around good guy.
No, seriously. His stretches will fix whatever is wrong with you — bad back, limp, bum ankle, low energy, or even a cold that won’t go away. He has his own technique that combines Eastern accupressure and shiatsu with Western massage and physical therapy — and it’s literally the best of both worlds. (Though, yes, it’ll hurt at times. But that’s because he’s actually going at the root of the problem.)
And then there’s Bill himself. Raised in Roxbury, Bostonian his whole life, former competitive fighter, he’s rockin’ some dreads at the moment and will eagerly chat about Buddha, Jesus, Obama, and the Red Sox, along with crazy stories from his life, and he’ll listen to your crazy stories, all while he’s making you walk better and feel stronger and more energetic.
And as for the price, which someone complained about — good luck finding anyone this anywhere near this good for less. (Plus, if you see him, you’ll never need a therapist, and you won’t go to the doctor as often either.) He’s worth every penny.

«Did we really just have a 2 minute conversation about my poop?»
Usually most people associate acupuncture with just the needles — but your acupuncturist figures out where to put those needles with questions about things like your sleeping patterns and bowel movements. I like Val a lot because I can bust out with something like the above and she doesn’t get offended. She’s really happy to explain everything she’s doing (she’s an instructor at the acupuncture school in Watertown) and compassionate as well.
As an engineer — I continue to be skeptical that manipulating my chi something something makes things better. I’ve been seeing her for stress, but when she magically (YES, ‘magically’) stopped long-​running back pain in it’s tracks, I wanted to march back out there the following day to give her a hug and tell her she was my favoritest person ever ever.
Everyone else in the office is extraordinarily friendly, though I’ve never been in to see any of them — yet. (She’s commented they have all traded services at one point or another and she’d never hesitate to recommend any of them. Which is good enough for me!)

I suffer from TMD, which causes me much upper back, shoulder and neck pain. Bill Polk’s combination of stretching and massage has been the best treatment I’ve had for my condition. It was actually almost like magic (although he makes you work pretty hard at the stretching, and it does hurt). And I’ve only been once!
I’m definitely planning to go back really soon– it is a bit pricey but it’s definitely worth it. The atmosphere is great and Bill is awesome. He explains everything he’s doing and exactly how it’s helping your body. I definitely recommend it to anyone with chronic muscle pain or muscle-​related injuries. Seems really great for athletes.