September 1, 2025
This anesthesiologist does acupuncture too
By Joy Rojas
Until she could breathe on her own, a 97-year-old diabetic with kidney failure remained confined to a hospital, dependent on a respirator, for two months. Worried about mounting medical bills, her family decided to complement her ongoing treatments with supportive therapy. In less than two weeks, the patient was weaned off the respirator and cleared to go home.
The same supportive therapy was applied on a 45-year-old woman who spent a decade trying complex and expensive procedures to have a baby. Within a year, she was pregnant with a child who is now 6 years old.
Often associated with pain management, acupuncture has helped address a wide range of health conditions—from menstrual cramps, digestive problems, and insomnia to depression, and, as proven by the two patients, issues with breathing and fertility.
Dr. Regina Talavera, who performed acupuncture on the patients as a supplement to their respective doctor-supervised treatments, uses this form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) every Friday at Tzu Chi Foundation’s Free Clinic services in Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus (BTCC), Sta. Mesa, Manila.
“A lot of hypertension, usually back pain, neck pain, migraine, stroke,” she says of the different conditions she treats. “There are also cancer survivors that come in. We highly recommend acupuncture for cancer survivors to prevent recurrence, especially those in remission. There are also those with allergies, gastrointestinal conditions, neurological conditions, infertility, and women's health, like polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and disruptive uterine bleeding.”
In acupuncture, fine sterilized needles are inserted in meridians located at specific points of the body. This encourages the flow and balance of “qi” or life energy, which results in physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.
Western medicine practitioners who recognize acupuncture’s benefits say that it stimulates the release of natural chemicals, like endorphins or “happy hormones” that help in the body’s healing process.
Despite being practiced for centuries worldwide, acupuncture remains largely misunderstood. For one thing, it’s neither an instant miracle cure nor a replacement for Western medicine.
“Some people come in and say, ‘I have cancer. Maybe acupuncture can help me,’” says Dr. Talavera. “We tell them, “You still need Western medicine.’ If there are big tumors that need to be taken out, acupuncture cannot do that. That is the part of Western medicine. But healing from the surgery, improving your immune system, increasing your appetite, giving you a better outlook in life—that's where acupuncture comes in.”
An anesthesiologist from Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Talavera is one of many Western Medicine doctors who not only see the value of acupuncture, they integrate it in their practice. She trains regularly with doctors from Tzu Chi Medical Center in Hualien, Taiwan; before that, she studied acupuncture in training centers at the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University.
“We know the limitations of acupuncture, and we know the limitations of Western medicine. So, we learned that when we combine them, we can overcome those limitations,” she says.
Then there are those with a fear of needles who assume acupuncture is painful. According to people who’ve tried it, the needles, which stay on for around 15-30 minutes, give you a mild, tingling sensation, if any feeling at all.
Dr. Talavera also observes that patients tend to look for Chinese acupuncturists since acupuncture is rooted in China. “Even Filipinos who train in Tzu Chi Taiwan can be as good as the doctors from Mainland China,” she assures.
Her patients will agree. The lady who finally had a child after years of trying was so grateful for her acupuncture treatments, she named her daughter Star, inspired by Dr. Talavera’s surname.
“We invite you to come to Tzu Chi,” says Dr. Talavera. “It’s free and it will help you in your conditions. It’s also a way of helping yourself get better, feel better, and stay healthy for your loved ones and family. We’re here and we’re willing to help you.”
Tzu Chi Foundation offers free acupuncture and other healthcare services in its Free Clinic at the Synergy Building, BTCC. For appointments, please schedule through this link: https://tzuchi.org.ph/free-clinic
Dr. Regina Talavera, an anesthesiologist at Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, has years of acupuncture training. She first studied it in training centers at the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University, and continues to hone her skills with doctors from Tzu Chi Medical Center in Hualien, Taiwan.
Also offered at Tzu Chi’s free clinic is ventosa or cupping therapy, which helps relieve pain by creating a suction that increases blood flow.