FRANCESCA D?Cruz is young, strong-minded, beautiful and very passionate about acupuncture.

She has been practicing traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture for 11 years having graduated from Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne Australia where she attained her University Degree as a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture.

Francesca began her now successful professional career as a volunteer acupuncturist at Windana Natural Drug Rehabilitation Centre assisting people to naturally shed drug dependency. Acupuncture already has a good track record when it comes to curing addictions, smoking in particular.

After developing her techniques and making her mark in history via the introduction of acupuncture on passenger cruise ships out of the USA, and contributing largely to the on-board training of the 65 practitioners working at sea, she eventually arrived on Phuket as a guest therapist at Atmanjai Health and Wellness Centre in Rawai.

?I was working in Australia and came to Atmanjai for a week?s detox. During this time I realised that this is what I wanted to do next,? she said.

?I went home, packed in my job in advertising, said ?au revoir? to my boyfriend and came straight here. I don?t know what I?ll do next but something will come along. At the moment I?m enjoying this very much.?

Acupuncture is a very ancient form of healing which pre-dates recorded history .The philosophy is rooted in the Taoist tradition which goes back over 8000 years. The people of this time period would meditate and observe the flow of energy both in and around the body. They were also keen to observe man?s relations with nature and the universe.

Fu Hsi, a well respected sage, lived in the Yellow River area of China and, by observing nature, formulated the first two symbols, a broken line and unbroken line. These symbols represented the two major forces in the universe ? creation and reception and how their interaction forms life. This duality was named yin-yang and now represents the backbone of Chinese Medicine theory and application.

?My father had a very bad car accident and I watched him deteriorate as the conventional medicines and surgeries took their toll on both his physical and mental health,? Francesca said.

?He then started a course of acupuncture and the turn about in his health and overall wellbeing was amazing. I was 15 years old and fascinated.?

Traditional healing is all abut helping the body heal itself. In many cases this is prevented by the introduction of external factors like drugs or stimuli. And although still a relatively new concept, traditional healing is fast gaining a good reputation and Phuket is becoming a hub for the best in wellness and is lucky to have Francesca until early November.

Francesca has also worked in two multi-discipline clinics in Australia where she worked alongside chiropractors, physiotherapists, massage therapists and osteopaths dealing with patients suffering from musculoskeletal disorders, post-trauma & post-operative care, pain, headache, infertility, stress, weight management, internal body cleansing (detox), including nutritional dietary advice.

Francesca warns people that when they try acupuncture to give it a chance. ?You need at least three sessions really,? she said.

?The first is to let the body know that these things are going to be happening. The body will react to foreign objects and you probably won?t feel any benefit other than being completely relaxed. The second will remind the body that this is happening and that body will now know that it?s not under attack. The third session will start the healing and flow processes. The fourth and fifth treatments are where you see the benefits coming out.?

Her acupuncture treatments can be used to treat a wide range of injuries, mental & physical imbalances, and acute & chronic disorders, as a complimentary and natural therapy. It is well suited to the soothing, relaxing and comfortable environment of the Atmanjai Wellness Centre.

If you want to take advantage of Francesca?s expertise then you will have to hurry. She is due to leave Atmanjai on 3 November.
Contact Francesca on 0822721794