Transformative Health

I purchased a Groupon for a deep-​tissue massage and acupuncture combo for my girlfriend this Christmas. On March 9, she called to make the appointment only to learn that they stopped accepting Groupons on February 1^st (despite the Groupon being valid for 6-​months). I contacted Customer Support for Groupon and they put me in touch with an absolutely inept woman named Kara from Max Effect Marketing. The woman asked me to repeat all the information that had just been provided to her by Groupon (either because she couldn’t be bothered to scroll down or because she was just buying time for this location to close before returning the funds paid to them by Groupon). She then proceeded to send me spam emails for Facebook, for
, for the Stem Cell Institute of America. Seriously?! When I asked her to stop spamming me and help me resolve the issue, she asked me to repeat all the information I just provided her a third time! Thank goodness I refused when she asked for my girlfriend’s personal contact information. Kara would’ve spammed her and wasted her time too.
Ultimately, i’m glad this place shut down. If Kara DeGroot is the type of person they select as a «Client Relations Representative,» it shows their level of commitment to client relations. It’s funny that the person whose job it is to attract new customers is actually the one driving them away. At the time of writing this (March 29) I still haven’t been reimbursed by Transformative Health, @MaxEffectMarket, or Groupon.

I bought a Groupon for a massage less than two months ago and tried to use it. I called them numerous times without being able to reach anyone. I finally got a return call. They told me they don’t take group in anymore. I told them I had just bought it and it was not set to expire for another few months. They were rude and unhelpful.
I reached out to Groupon. They responded that they will investigate and get back to me. When they did respond, they said I can call T.H. and schedule an appointment as they have to honor the Groupon. So I called T.H. and they said no, they won’t honor the Groupon. Finally the woman I spoke with said she will speak with her supervisor, who in turn said I can make an appointment, but if for whatever reason I need to cancel it, I will forfeit the Groupon to them. They wouldn’t even reschedule in the case I ended up in the hospital (I asked. Nicely.) Ummm, what?!? I told this woman it was bad practice.
Long story short, I contacted Groupon who gave me my money back.

I have been a patient at Transformative Health for the past 3 months, following a serious back injury with multiple disc herniations. Sunny and Dr. Prisco have both provided exceptional care by administering a specific physical therapy and chiropractic plan. Under their care, I have made significant improvements in mobility and reduced back pain since my first visit. I highly recommend Transformative Health for Physical Therapy and Chiropractic treatment.

To be fair: During the few sessions I saw the physical therapist at this office everyone seemed very nice, helpful, and my problem (pain and arm numbness from two herniated disks in my neck) was improved. I’m sure they’re probably good at what they do.
But my problem was the same as Bethann here on Unilocal on 4÷25÷15, and as James K., 2÷20÷15 on ZocDoc. I found Transformative Health through ZocDoc where they’re listed as in-​network for my insurance (Empire Plan). I called the office to confirm BEFORE booking an appointment that they were in-​network and was told yes.
Verbal confirmation. Only then did I book an appointment.
After several meetings with the physical therapist, tests, and having a 24-​visit plan explained to me, I was told the cost would be over $ 1,300. This didn’t make sense so I called my insurance afterward and they said that Transformative Health is out of network.
I called Transformative Health again and the PT didn’t deny it, just made the excuse that he’d mentioned he’d take «whatever insurance I had». This is of course a dodge: If a patient is out of network that’s the first thing that should be mentioned when you walk in the front door. It never was. Not once. As mentioned, they actually lied over the phone and said I was.
I’m having to learn the ins and outs of medical care in NYC and the picture isn’t pretty. This is pretty normal practice, even if it’s reprehensible. The takeaway is that I’ll always call my insurance first, before ever booking an appointment with any medical office again.

Massage for patients only and once a week at that. Confusing as search pulled up for massage

When I first came to transformative, I asked if my insurance was taken over the phone because I knew that I would not be able to afford to pay out of pocket for services. They said they did take my insurance and to come in for an appointment. Being that I found transformative via the blue cross blue shield website I trusted this. They had good reviews so I figured I would give it a go.
I paid a $ 30 copay after my first session and was never asked for it again. I did not have a copy of my insurance card on me that day but did email it to them later that week. My organization was in the process of yearly enrollment during this time and I had been waiting for a new insurance card and benefit card to come in the mail because I changed my plan which I notified them about. After this I was asked about the new card and was told it should be okay. For whatever reason I have yet to receive my new card and had to notify my HR department of this.
I had been getting PT regularly for about six to eight weeks (an estimate timeline) and never knew that the insurance company had been apparently rejecting documentation that transformative was sending them during this time and asking for more information. I made an appointment on Friday ⁴⁄₂₄ for 4:00 pm, two days before a race (I had been getting PT for my knee) and was dressed and waiting for treatment when Dr. Helmandi introduced herself to me and asked me to go into a private room with her where she informed me that an individual had been working for them (who I never heard of… Casey told me that dr helmandi would talk to me about payment schedule and that never happened so I figured everything was okay) who made billing mistakes and my PT was never covered by insurance. I was blindsided because Sunny was listed on the insurance company website as a provider otherwise I never would have explored them as an option for care. They were very nice to not charge for the sessions I had already received. After notifying me of this Dr Helmandi said I could pay $ 50 per session for twelve recommended sessions or pay for 12 sessions upfront and receive a 10% discount. I do believe this is very affordable care. $ 50 – 100 per week is not astronomical for most people but for me it is. I have two jobs, am a social worker and every dollar counts. Not ideal, but this is life for most people in my field. I would love to charge services to my benefit card but unfortunately, I am also a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor (the reason I am training for the NYC marathon is to raise money for the leukemia and lymphoma society) and need the money on my card to use towards my deductible because my twice per year scans are not covered under the copay unless I get a scan during an appointment which is not an option with my oncologist. I panicked when I found out my organization was raising the cost of my premium and deductible because of my medical expenses and this card is my saving grace and cannot be used towards PT. This is not the average situation for a 27 year old which is why I made the point to do my research before scheduling an appointment at transformative.
I asked if I would have to pay for that days session and dr helmandi said yes because I would be taking up time slots for those who pay which was humiliating but understandable and I packed my things. I realize they have a business to run and do not expect any free treatment and am thankful for what I had received free of charge. Thank you.
After all this I felt embarrassed that I had to leave in front of others waiting for care and about the fact that they had not been paid. Casey at the front desk was very understanding and went out of her way to call my insurance company one last time and explained monthly payment options but at that point I just wanted to leave. Sunny never said anything to me before leaving.
I am now 3 weeks out from a half marathon and do not feel confident that my knee is stable to run without pain and have to start from scratch by getting a script for PT to start a new treatment plan which could take awhile leaving me little time to treat my knee in time for this race. I feel like the entire situation could have been avoided and now feel inconvenienced when had I known my insurance didnt cover the care I would have been getting care elsewhere and would not have been left to deal with this situation last minute. I came an hour out of my way on a rare day off and never received even a phone call about the situation. Cross your t’s and dot your i’s before receiving treatment here. I could have started new weeks ago. I really feel this was handled poorly and could have been avoided. Shirish is great and this review does not speak of his abilities. Bedside manners within management are also very important to me.

I love the people who work here, they feel like my family. Very positive energy and excellent care. They have helped me so much with ankle and neck pain. Their treatment is very comprehensive, thorough, and compassionate.

I’ve had chronic lower back and shoulder tightness and pain off and on for over 20 years. I’ve tried chiropractic care occasionally when things got really bad, but after a while things would get bad all over again. When I tried this practice, I didn’t know what to expect. I was encouraged by the chiropractor (Dr Bushra is excellent!) to try getting an assessment on my posture. Turns out my posture was not aligned properly, with my head angled out in front of my shoulders — probably from 20 years working at a computer all day! Anyway I have been going there twice a week for around 3 months now.
Everyone is very professional and knowledgable. They have a Nurse Practitioner to administer lidocaine injections that help to dissolve the «adhesions» — the painful and annoying knots in my shoulders — which helps with range of motion and allows the activation of the muscles that are not being used properly, therefore other muscles are overcompensating and therefore there is an imbalance created. Sunny really explains the science of it well, and it all makes sense to me. Sam has been great helping me with physical therapy at every session. The holistic approach of the physical therapy (stretching and strengthening the muscles), combined with the chiropractic adjustments has relieved my pain and tightness, and my posture has improved as well. I have also been recommended exercises and stretches to do on my own to maintain the muscles on a daily basis. It’s all about the muscles!!!
Many of us work at computers all day every day and we start to develop poor posture habits without even realizing it. I believe it can lead to other health problems. I highly recommend to anyone to check this place out and see what you can do to prevent further muscle and posture problems before they get really bad and seriously impact your quality of life. What have you got to lose? Anyway, getting off my soapbox for now… :)

Had a great massage there. The guy gave really good pressure.

I initially came here for a massage and pain consultation that I purchased from GroupOn. The massage by Shaboth was exceptionall. I’ve had many massages over the years and this was by far one if not the best yet. I then had a pain consultation with Sunny the Physical Therapist because of knee and back pain issues. He assesed my conditions and said they would be able to help me. I must say I was skeptical because I’ve been to other places that just give you cortisone injections and send you on your way.
I began going there on a consistent basis and can attest to the fact that over the past month as the name implies Ihave been transformed. My knee and back. pain has been greatly diminished and I look forward to continued improvement. All the staff members are very caring and professional. I cant say enough good things about this place and I am so glad I found them. So if you are in any kind of pain come to this place and you too will be transformed.

Came here for massage after buying a groupon offer which could be used towards massage or acupuncture. My intention was to go for acupuncture as I have an excellent massage therapist I have been going to weekly for years. As it turns out the acupuncture was no longer available so my choice was to get a refund from groupon or to try the massage. I was skeptical as it would be hard to beat my regular guy and I prefer deep work that most MT’s «say» they do, but don’t actually do. But, I thought, «why not.» So I scheduled an appointment. To my astonishment, I was given a great massage by Sabahah. This guy is talented. After my first massage I felt a very deep sense of overall calmness I have not felt in a while (and I have been struggling with heavy life stressors this year). He provided a perfect balance of deep work and spiritual work delivered in a deliberate manor. His massage room is a sanctuary with a faux fireplace, heated table and all of the things one would expect for a great massage experience. My only hesitation in writing this review is that it might get harder to book future massages with him. But, I’m sure the cat will get out of the bag and I might as well be the guy to do it!

The nicest, most flexible group of people I’ve ever met. I was in so much back and hip pain before I started here and a couple of weeks later I feel like a brand new person. I truly believe in everything they do here.

This place is really great! They have great customer service and I really felt welcomed. They gave me a great therapy session, I felt like new the next day. I definitely recommend this place to anyone.

Being from Canada, this is my first experience with Chiropractors in the US.
My expectations were surpassed by the team at Transformative Health, their level of expertise and customer service is truly amazing. I highly recommend them for any of your aches and pains. Please give them a try.

Awesum place… People With Extraordinary personality… The Place where u can feel amazing vibrations & Peaceful Energy… Really Love it alot!!!

I was having severe neck/​shoulder and back pain and desperately needed to see someone on a tight budget. I then bought a Groupon for a massage/​pain consult for Transformative Health. I was sceptical because it was so affordable. When I arrived at my appointment, they recognized my pain and talked me through what I could do to alleviate it, then proceeded to do a chiropractic adjustment and massage therapy. I just finished my massage by Sabboth. I feel incredibe! He was fantastic as well as everyone else at this office. They truly care about everyone who walks in there. Thank you Transformative Health. I will be making more appointments

Because my review is so positive, I wanted to clarify that I can be very opinionated and not all of my reviews are so positive!
I whole-​heartedly recommend this team. I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy 18 months ago and have regularly worked with 6 physical therapists over that time span. Some weren’t great, others tried hard and others were good, but I can’t say enough positive things about Sunny and his team.
I love:
— holistic approach, both seeking natural remedies as well as considering your total health and entire body
— appointments are efficient and you can meet with the physical therapist, chiropractor, masseuse, nurse practitioner and podiatrist — as many as needed, all in one location and in an efficient, rotational way
— Sunny, the physical therapist, has been able to answer and explain so many things about my rare form of muscular dystrophy — much of which he researched after meeting with me, wanting to help me as much as possible. He has also been able to figure out what has been causing many of my pains AND has found ways to remedy or at least lessen the pain. I have been working with him regularly for a month now and have seen more progress than I saw with all of my other physical therapists over the last 18 months. His understanding has been so quick and helpful that I wonder how some of these things were not noticed or brought up by my previous therapists.
While I don’t write many reviews (yet always have an opinion), I had to write this review because Sunny and his team have helped me so much and I hope anyone looking for a physical therapist or any of their other services will go here. I am sure their expectations will be exceeded.

Great care, great people… The moment you step inside the clinic you can feel vibes of positive energy.