Cross River Acupuncturist Marks Fifth Anniversary

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. – Doreen Riser discovered the benefits of acupuncture in a somewhat ironic way.

The owner of Therapeutic Acupuncture & Wellness in Cross River began her career as a physical therapist and threw her back out while working with a stroke patient. She decided to seek treatment for the pain not from traditional Western methods, but from an acupuncturist. She found herself quickly healed.

“I was sold. I thought, ‘this stuff is fantastic,’” she said.

At the time, Riser was looking for a new career path, so she decided to pursue acupuncture as a vocation. She enrolled at the Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York City where she earned her degree in the three-year master’s program.

With a background in reflexology, massage therapy and physical therapy, Riser came up the idea to create a wellness center that would combine all those skills. In 2007, she opened Therapeutic Acupuncture & Wellness at 19 North Salem Road and is now celebrating the business’s fifth anniversary.

“I didn’t know anyone when I came here,” said Riser, who is originally from New Jersey and came to northern Westchester to be with her fiancé. “I started from zero and built up the practice.”

That practice now also includes yoga and Pilates classes, in addition to acupuncture treatments and massage therapy.

Riser said once dubious Americans are becoming more and more receptive to Eastern medical practices such as acupuncture, which originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. She employs it for pain management for things such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, back, neck and knee pain, as well as an array of autoimmune diseases and infertility. She also uses it to help people quit smoking and curb over-eating.

“Drugs are getting a lot of bad press these days and people are looking for alternatives,” Riser said. “That’s the trend I am seeing. Acupuncture helps to balance out the imbalances in your body.”

Riser recently started a program called Community Acupuncture, where several patients sign up for group treatment for depression and anxiety for a discounted $25 per session.

“We see two or three patients at the same time in a relaxing environment and everyone respects each other’s space,” she said.

The yoga and Pilates classes provide synergy with Riser’s other services.

“They all help with chronic pain – they’re just different methods,” she explained.

To find out more about Therapeutic Acupuncture & Wellness, call 914-301-0003 or visit its website. 

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