Meridian Medica

A friend of mine recommended that place to me when I mentioned a back pain that I have. One morning I woke up and couldn’t move my shoulder and decided to finally try it out. They did the magic! I now go there once a week and feel great. If you expect to see a fancy spa, sorry — you will be disappointed but the place is very clean and all of the therapists know what their doing. I never make an appointment, just walk in.

It’s super weird. First, when she massaged my back she pulled my panty down too far so my WHOLE butt was exposed. Is this a norm in Philadelphia? I am not sure.
Second, she’s so unskillful I’m almost 100% SURE she’s unlicensed.
I saw the Unilocal review was good, but the place wasn’t shown as pictured…
Well, now I just hope that they were not taking videos of my naked butt and selling the tape somewhere…

You know I just really love this place. I have been coming here for a few years now and they never disappoint. If you’re looking for glitz glamour, or a fancy spa this isn’t the place. But if you want the basics of a quality massage you found it.
I extremely recommend this place for people who have dense muscle tissue and need strong hands to penetrate the problem areas. They are very reasonably priced. I guess the one negative is how incessantly the request that you tip, but I get it… Not a deal breaker.
FYI I normally go for the back walk, deep tissue, hot stones, and foot reflexology all of that for one hour usually runs about 60 to 80 dollars and it’s worth every penny.

«One of these days these boots
Are gonna walk all over you»
Perhaps Nancy Sinatra meant barefoot massage.
I found body walking massage practice to be uncommon in Philly, in fact, this might be the only spot I came across. Very low key and CLEAN massage center in the heart of Center City. I’ve been here tons of times, and I’m always happy with their professional and friendly service.
You can either walk-​in (welcomed), or you can make an appointment (recommended). Then you’ll choose your preferred type of massage from the massage menu, and they offer a variety of massage options. As I’m always yearning for deep tissue massage, my massage session usually lasts 60 minutes ($ 55), including the Tui-​na and body walking. All the masseurs I had were great.
If you wonder what is body walking, it means literally as it sound. The practitioner will walk on your covered back, maintaining her (usually they are women) balance by holding on a ceiling bar. Your aching muscles will be relieved.
Pro Tip: Pay cash, or there will be a credit card processing fee.
Four and half Unilocal

I’ve been going to this place for a while now and it truly is the definition of 3 star service. It’s a pretty good place! Not stellar or excellent but very good. The location is excellent, the price is right, and you get a decent massage. I don’t mind the tip thing (have spent too many years bartending) but they really COULD handle it better. It takes a little patience but you can pantomime where your aches and pains are. To be honest I’ve had better massages but for the money its not bad. I know its not a ringing endorsement but it is an honest one

I read the previous 10 reviews or so to figure out what I’d expect if I got a massage here, and I was not prepared for what I actually experienced; but I’m not a frequent massage-​goer, so perhaps today wasn’t quite all that weird.
So, I found out about this place a couple of days ago. Today I check out their website (prices are online), call and book an hour appointment for 3:30 PM. I look the place up on Google Maps to see exactly where it is and I notice that the little blurb underneath the name said «erotic massage». That freaked me out, but I still decided to go because as per the reviews I read, they give a pretty great massage. I really hope that they don’t do that stuff… ugh. Anyways, I walk in, I’m greeted warmly by the receptionist who leads me all the way to the back of the place through a dimly lit hallway (rooms off to the side). Some soft music (Titanic theme) was playing and it seemed like there was no one else there. I’m led to a room and I just sit on the table because I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. The receptionist leaves and 5 minutes later my masseuse comes and knocks softly on the wood outside the curtain. I open it up like, «what?». She doesn’t speak English very well so she just points to the towel and my clothes and I realize that I have to put the towel on, haha. So I do that, lay on the table, she comes back in and starts tugging at the towel, pulling it down to my waist. Wasn’t ready for that. Then she pulled my undies halfway down over my ass! Blaargh! Wasn’t ready for that either.
As for the massage, I’ve never had a woman’s hand so close to my crotch. This was something I got over quickly however, because the massage was phenomenal!!! Whatever oils she used smelled amazing too. I had only mentioned my shoulder pain at the beginning of the session (and asked for a 10 minute foot massage), so I would have liked even more attention on my shoulders, but the rest of the massage was SO great I don’t even care. EVERYTHING, all yo bod-​aaay, gets worked except for your front. The thigh massage deserves special mention because my masseuse rubbed some muscle that then shot glitter up into the depths of my thigh, probably channeling what Beyonce’s thighs experience on a daily basis. It’s inexplicable. You have to go just for this.
Yeah, so I left feeling like I had just rode a unicorn into the sky. I will most certainly be back in the future, probably for half-​hour sessions focusing on my neck/​shoulders. Although that Beyonce-​thigh moment was pretty darn incredible.

You have to take this for what it is. It’s not a gorgeous day spa in a hotel, it’s a typical cheap massage place. But every time I’ve been there I’ve had the best massage and that’s all that matters. They know how to be strong and give a real therapeutic massage. And it’s cheap!

I went for foot reflexology. It was anything but that. What a royal waste of my time and money. I shouldn’t have even paid for this, let alone tip the woman.

I have gone here multiple times and yesterday’s massage was a huge reminder that I need to go here more often. No need to schedule an appointment — I am sure it helps but if you ever decide on a whim you want a massage, it’s nice to know they have flexible hours and can accommodate you. This is definitely no frills but they work their butt off. This isn’t just rubbing lotion on your back — these girls seriously work your muscles out. Receptionist was adorable — made me feel welcome, initiated great conversation and definitely made me want to come back. Highly recommend an hour here — and with these prices it makes it affordable to do this more often.

Massage was great ask for a facial and simply was a cream and that’s it never going again

No frills, but you get a good massage! I go here often and they’re consistent. Don’t expect the fluffy expensive linens, scented oils, table warmer and beautiful ambiance! It’s a good price for a good massage. It’s very clean and you’ll leave feeling great.

Guys, this place is the best!
To all of you entitled haters out there:
1) You don’t like that they wait for tips? These people are immigrants who remit money back to China and are separated from their nuclear families — they are here to make money!
2) You wish the lady at the counter would make small talk? Have you tried making small talk in your second language? Oh, you don’t speak a second language? Yeah that’s what I thought. Again, this is a store run by Chinese immigrants — learn some Mandarin and they are super nice. They are very cordial regardless.
3) These massages are cheap! Obviously they keep their prices low by asking that you pay cash. Chill out
My review: This place is great if you love actual hard massages that fix your body’s problems in a simple yet clean environment at affordable prices. If you want to pay a high premium for a light touch in a room with a scented candle, try somewhere else. I highly recommend the body/​back walking. See those poles on the ceiling? They grab onto that and WALK ALL OVER YOU. It is heavy pressure but it is DIVINE. This is a form of Chinese medicine, so the idea is to actually fix your problems. Let them do their art by letting them go as hard as they can! Lisa is less chatty, Tina is more chatty (in Mandarin) but they are equally fantastic.

Meridian is no-​frills, sure. But it’s not creepy or weird, either. The rooms are dim, there’s nice music playing, the beds and towels are warm and clean, and you get slathered in oils that, while aren’t laced with lavender, do the job.
The people at the front are SO nice, and my massage therapist, while not talkative or anything, is always attentive. I have frequented this place so many times, and always leave feeling sort of battered but in a good way – like they’ve massaged all the deep-​set pain out of my body. I didn’t want a full-​body massage a couple times and told the girl, and so the entire time was spent on my back and shoulders – heaven, honestly.
Go here for a cost-​effective, satisfying experience. And especially if you have deep knots.

I have to agree with a lot of the other reviews here. Massages here are very good. I have been here 8 times. Almost due for my free massage. I’ve had the hour, hour and a half and hour with hot stones. Hot stones not really my thing but for $ 5 more, I figured I’d try it. Definitely different massage style that I’m used to. I recommended my wife go and she loved it.
A few pros and cons…
PROS:
Therapists will do amount of pressure you ask for and do it well. They all hustle and are constantly moving and working your muscles the entire time, except when they leave room shortly to get hot towels to wipe baby oil off you.
Price is definitely fair especially given that they are in center city. $ 55/​hour $ 35/​half-​hour and $ 5 extra for hot stones.
Every time I have called on short notice to come in they have been able to see me. Longest I’ve had to wait was about 10 mins and only because it was a saturday morning and I gave half hour notice.
CONS:
Girl who works front desk –I usually go on friday afternoons– isn’t the friendliest girl I’ve ever met. She’s very as a matter of fact, blank stare, isn’t able to give much info on services offered. Doesn’t say hello or goodbye, never asks how was massage, nothing. Again, I’m going there for massage but I also want to feel welcomed whether it be here, a restaurant or anywhere else. There is another girl I’ve encountered on the weekend who smiles and is a bit more friendly, though.
Place can get very hot and downright uncomfortable sometimes. They have a window unit air conditioner in lobby facing street. Was told it wasn’t working. Not sure if it’s been fixed or not but wouldn’t want to chance it especially in this heat wave.
All the therapists do virtually the exact same style of massage and same routine, in same order, to the letter. It’s as if they atttended a workshop on how to do massage in this facility. It’s almost robotic. Regardless of where your complaint is, neck, low back, etc., they all follow same exact routine. They will address your issue but not focus on it as I have requested in past.
By the time you are dressed and walking to counter to pay, the therapist is standing at attention waiting there for their tip as if you can’t leave until they get their money. I know that’s exaggerating but that’s how it feels sometimes. Almost as if they have their hand out. You give them a tip and off they go like there’s a fire. I realize, like with many other occupations, they count on tips, but it can be very awkward for some, I would suspect. Most places I’ve been to have envelopes to leave tip in for therapists. I always tip and tip well. My wife and kids used to live on tips so I know they count on it.
There’s a fee if paying with credit card. Ok. Guess, I’ll pay cash. I always do anyway. I know everyone prefers cash so it’s not a problem for me.
Usually a therapist will spend half the hour with you prone (on stomach) and other half supine (on back), and depending on your needs and areas of complaint this will, of course, vary. My first time here, I was expecting equal time front and back. Therapist spent 95% of time on back and when it was time to flip over, the alarm went off and she barely did anything for back of neck and traps. Asked if I wanted more time. I needed the muscle work so I agreed. Made me think it may have been a ploy to get me to spend $ 35 more. I didn’t like that. So, I’m sure to ask for equal time front and back.
SInce I’m new to the asian style of massage, I’ve tried other places mostly in montgomery county. Prices are same and in some cases, cheaper. Massage I have to say is better, at least at the two places I’ve been to. Even though I live in Center City and work in Montco, I’m not sure if I’ll be back here. Maybe to get my free massage. However, after experiencing a few different places, I’d probably drive out to Montco for a massage and only use this place if I were really hurting. That’s not to say it’s not a good massage. I just think overall, for the price and quality, the montco places have them beat. Just my opinion… Hope this is helpful

Just what I needed to feel like I was taking care of myself — without taking myself to the cleaners.
Read Unilocal reviews and thought it was worth checking out. Also super convenient to the treading place I go to next door.
Nice young women greeted me — asked me about what was bothering me today — gave me a quick tour and showed to me a private, clean, warm & therapeutically-​lit space. Ask for preference of male versus female therapist. I asked for female.
It’s not the super-​lux linens, or aromatherapy candles of a spa, but perfect for what I needed. (Think decorative paper plates versus odd-​shaped & gold rimmed dishes — nice and get the job done).
I asked for and received 60 minutes of focused body-​work, hot stone ($ 5 extra) and reflexology. I really felt like my therapist understood where I was hurting and spent time on those important knots. Nice to have the massage on the rest of me too (winter skin and now super moisturized!) it was very thorough. Total $ 60 and happy to add a tip on top. Felt better 5 minutes after — and 5 hours later.
BONUS: You get a punch card — like a coffee spot, or pizza place, so the 11^th massage is on them. AND they’re open until 10pm AND 7 days a week. I can totally see myself after a long day, stopping in (walk-​ins welcome) for a 30 min — work — the — day — away — massage. I’ll be back.

I love this place! It really beats out the other places that I have gone for the more traditional American style massages by a long shot. No frills, not a fancy atmosphere, but quiet and comfortable. They really make sure to work out the kinks and tension. I have been here twice and saw two different people and had a more than satisfactory experience than I could hope for at an astoundingly low price. If you care more about actual body work than luxury, this place is perfect. You’re darn right I was sure to tip the massage therapists that I saw both times well because I got true quality over quantity and they deserve it!

A great place to go to, to get the kinks and knots out for a reasonable price. ($ 55 for an hour) Despite the language barrier, the staff are friendly and accomodating. The masseuse was great she knew the right amount of pressure to use and exactly where I needed the most attention without being told. They take walk-​ins but prefer that you make an appointment. I was a walk-​in, there wasn’t a long wait. The treatment room is a large room with partitions and large white curtains cover the doorway, you have complete privacy.

If you’re looking for a no-​frills, great therapeutic massage in the city, this is it! It’s a clean, easy, and super affordable place for a really good, relaxing massage.
I came here to work out some serious end-​of-​grad school stress and muscle tension and this massage reeeealllly helped. Ive had massages at other places in the city with heralded masseurs, but the quality of this massage was so much better than any of those. The massage therapist was nice and didn’t speak much (language barrier) and the receptionist/​manager was extremely sweet and accommodating.
Don’t expect a fancy day spa but you can expect a relatively clean and peaceful place. Also, my massage was not in a private room but a sort of booth with a curtain — it wasn’t unpleasant because the place was quiet and there didn’t seem to be many other people there. $ 45 for 45 mins and $ 55 for 60 mins.

Does what it says on the tin…
I’m having pain in my shoulder & neck — ok, this has been going on so long, I’ve become used to it (not good)
Anyway, Unilocal led me to this place & as I was visiting Phila, decided to book an appointment.
I had the 45min massage. I didn’t expect much but can tell you the technician I had was very good. She was friendly & attentive. She asked about my aches and pains & went right to work on the ‘sweet spots’.
I felt better than I did when I came in, so that was enough for me to book a second appointment next week.
Don’t expect much from the décor in this place, their main focus is on the massage & they do a good job. The price is also right, which averages to about a dollar a minute. Cushty!

When I was a student in Beijing, I had a killer back problem. While I had never really indulged in massages in America, when I got to China the pain was so bad and the appointments so cheap that I started getting massages from Li Daifu (Doctor Li) two or three times a week. Before I saw her, I was having trouble studying because I couldn’t sit longer than one hour without having really bad back pain. Within a few weeks, I was able to sit for three hours at a time.
I live in Philly now, but when my neck and shoulder started acting up, I realized I was going to have to find someone who could give me the kind of massage I got in China. I did a little research about Traditional Chinese Medicine, and discovered that massage in this school is called Tui-​Na (say tway-​nah, rhymes with hey-​ah), which literally means push-​pull. Meridian Medica is the only joint I found near me that had a website and offered tuina. I called on Friday after lunch and was able to schedule a massage for after work. I chose a woman masseuse, but also had the option to choose a man. I showed up half an hour early for a massage, but I still didn’t have to wait.
If you just want a massage to relax and de-​stress, if you can’t stand pain, if you’re in love with Swedish massage — don’t get tuina. If you have chronic pain, if your muscles are knotted and adhesed, if trigger point/​myofascial release have worked well for you in the past, then I would recommend tuina. For me, the closer a massage is to torture, the more effective it is. So I actually had to ask the masseuse at Meridian Medica to go harder. The next morning, when I woke up, I felt like I had been sleeping on an old sofa for a week — that is, I felt horrible. But when I went to yoga a few days later, I could tell that my body was doing a lot better than before the massage — less pinchy and achy.
Sixty minutes of tuina costs $ 55. The receptionist also asked that I tip the masseuse at the end, but I only gave a $ 5 tip because I was surprised at the request. There was no conversation during the massage — the masseuse spoke minimal English, but the receptionist was fluent. They also gave me a punch-​card — if you get ten sessions, you will get an eleventh for free. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get ten, but I’m definitely going back again.