The Journey to Natural Healing

Dr. Carmen Jones is a naturopathic doctor and a member of the Choctaw tribe from Atoka, Oklahoma.

She is passionate about using natural remedies to heal the body.

She graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Tempe, Arizona, one of the five accredited schools for naturopathic medicine.

Her primary practice is located in Ada, Oklahoma, but she travels across southeastern Oklahoma to share information and teach about natural medicine.

As a young girl, her interest in plants was sparked by her grandmother, who would brew herbal teas for her when she was sick.

Her dream was always to return to the Choctaw Nation and provide support to the people living in rural communities.

She began her journey in conventional medical school until she got sick and was not given many options by doctors.

She refused to accept the idea of taking medication for the rest of her life.

At this point, she discovered naturopathic medicine and felt it was her calling.

She was passionate about using nature and God’s gifts to help the body heal itself.

This discovery changed the course of her life and gave her a new purpose.

“I whole-heartedly believe as we move towards being in a more balanced state, as we move towards being more in nature and finding ways to stimulate our body’s ability to heal itself and addressing that root cause, we have a higher quality of life, but we also have the opportunity to answer the calling that we may have. The calling is to serve our families, communities and even the Choctaw Nation at large.”

Naturopathic medicine is the healing power of nature.

Dr. Jones practices Nature Cure and Vitalism, which involves looking at what we eat and drink and how it affects our overall health.
Plants and herbal medicine can correct nutrient deficiencies and support changes in the body. “Every time we eat or drink something is a chance to nourish our bodies,” says Jones.

She offers numerous therapies, like flower essence and acupuncture, and depending on the patient’s goals or lifestyle, will suggest the appropriate treatment to get the body into a healing state.

“What’s really exciting to me, not just natural medicine, but plants, is that they work on the whole body instead of just one organ system or something specific.”

Dr. Jones is passionate about sharing information about natural medicine.

Her goal is to help people in Oklahoma by practicing and sharing information to heal and transform their bodies naturally.

“We know the body can heal itself. For example, you can get a cut or an abrasion on your arm or even a burn; your body can heal itself without a Band-Aid or Neosporin if you are healthy. Our body wants to be in that healing and repairing state. When someone has symptoms or a diagnosis, we work to address the root cause to figure out what has gone awry from keeping the body from that healing and repairing state.”

The causes can range from diet or inflammation to genetics.

Dr. Jones and her patients explore these possible causes to determine what could be causing the body not to enter the natural healing process and move forward.

According to Dr. Jones, nettles are one of the most beneficial herbs due to their high levels of vitamins and minerals.
Oklahoma is home to two varieties of nettles: stinging and dog nettles.

Nettles are a great way to familiarize oneself with natural medicine since they are rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C and amino acids.

Nettles can help reduce stress and allergies while increasing the mineral content in our diet.
Dr. Jones had a patient who visited her with concerns about anxiety and high blood pressure, which were suspected to be caused by Covid-19.

The plan was to address the patient’s inflammation and anxiety issues initially.

Dr. Jones and her patient went through the patient’s lifestyle, diet, and potential causes of chronic inflammation to develop a solution.

Dr. Jones recommended a plant-based therapy for the patient.

At the three-month checkup, the patient’s blood pressure was stable, and she had not experienced any panic attacks in two months.
The patient also shared that she had seen her optometrist and ophthalmologist the previous year, who had diagnosed her with onset macular degeneration and worsening cataracts and recommended surgery.

After following Dr. Jones’ plant therapy, the patient went back to her eye doctor to schedule her surgeries.

They told her that she was no longer qualified as they did not see any signs of macular degeneration, and her cataracts were stable enough that she was not a candidate for surgery at that point.

In addition to the herbs recommended by Dr. Jones, the patient’s lifestyle changes helped her experience a significant decrease in inflammation, lowered her blood pressure, and brought about positive health changes that she had not even discussed with Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones always encourages people to listen to their bodies and ask questions until they get an explanation or a response that makes sense, and with the proper guidance, she believes it is possible to achieve optimal health naturally.

If you want to improve your health, Dr. Jones suggests starting by addressing your diet. Inflammation is often the root cause of many health problems.

Foods that are high in sugar and dairy are known to be inflammatory.

Therefore, reducing the consumption of such foods is a great starting point for those who want to improve their health.
These are inexpensive and achievable first steps to take when starting your health journey.

Dr. Jones has observed that stress and inflammation are often the two biggest root causes of chronic illnesses in her patients.

These two factors can lead to blood pressure problems, diabetes, arthritis, and other conditions.

While managing stress is not always easy, certain herbs and foods can help.

Dr. Jones also recommends grounding as a technique to manage stress.

Grounding exercises involve standing or walking barefoot on grass or dirt or pressing your bare feet into the ground.

Some people use this technique to connect their bodies to the Earth’s electrical energy. Benefits of grounding include improved mood, better blood flow, better sleep quality, improved immune system function and more.

In addition to grounding techniques, Dr. Jones suggests incorporating deep breathing exercises into our daily routine.

These exercises can help reset our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for promoting relaxation and reducing stress.

By taking deep breaths consciously, we send signals to our body that it is safe to relax, and in turn, the body leaves the chronic stress state. This habit can be very beneficial for our overall well-being and can help reduce physiological and psychological symptoms of stress.

Dr. Jones has partnered with Choctaw Nation’s Behavioral Health and the Tribal Opioid Response Team (TORT) to organize classes and share her knowledge.

She has two classes in May at the Choctaw Cultural Center:

Spring Tonic Make and Take Workshop
May 11, 2024, 10 a.m. – noon and 1-3 p.m.

“Spring tonics are nutritive and building for the body. After the stillness, cool, and calming winter, we explore spring plants and watch their lifecycle as they emerge and become green. These first plants in the spring are very high in nutrients and minerals. As we learn and create a relationship with our spring plant relatives, we can experience the nurturing and nourishment they offer in the form of creating a spring tonic!”

Spill the Tea
May 21, 2024, 3-4 p.m.

“Dr. Carmen Jones will discuss the benefits of tea and reconnecting with our plant relatives. She will provide tea to samples and a discussion about their benefits, highlighting blends to support immunity, reduce pain and address allergies.”

Beyond Coping: How to be Empowered Through Stress
“Stress is everywhere and we cannot escape it, but we can understand how it changes our body’s physiology.

It is estimated that 60%-80% of primary care doctor visits are related to stress. Learning to recognize changes that occur in our body due to stress can help us address stress better. We will discover ways to increase your stress resilience and how to move out of survival mode and become empowered in your life.”

• McAlester Windhorse 604 S 2nd St, May 13, 1-2:30 p.m.
• Durant Windhorse 816 W Evergreen St, May 13, 5-6:30 p.m.
• Talihina Community Center, May 24, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Broken Bow Community Center, May 24, 5-6:30 p.m.

Top Down and Bottom Up Approaches: Trying Different Tangible Ways to Support the Stress Response
“Ever wonder why something that is anxiety-provoking for you doesn’t create stress for someone else? We will explore different mindsets around stress and learn a model to help break the stress cycle for you. We will explore new tools and skills to build your toolbox for stress resilience.”

• McAlester Windhorse 604 S 2nd St, June 3, 1-2:30 p.m.
• Durant Windhorse 816 W Evergreen St, June 3, 5-6:30 p.m.
• Talihina Community Center, June 28, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Broken Bow Community Center, June 28, 5-6:30 p.m.

Love Yourself through Transformation (Love yourself, heal your life)
“The natural world all around is changing all the time from our seasons to our plants and animal relatives and even the rocks.

Change can sometimes be uncomfortable, but when we learn to love ourselves unconditionally and learn to be the role model/parent/support that we need, change can be encouraging.

Self-care is essential in our journey to balanced health.

We will make lip balms together with local plants!”

• McAlester Windhorse 604 S 2nd St July 10, 1-2:30 p.m.
• Durant Windhorse 816 W Evergreen St July 10, 5-6:30 p.m.
• Talihina Community Center July 26, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Broken Bow Community Center July 26, 5-6:30 p.m.

Each class is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the benefits of naturopathic medicine and even the chance to discover medicine in your own backyard!

To learn more from Dr. Carmen, visit her Facebook page at Transform Your Health Naturally with Dr. Carmen Jones or listen to her podcast, Thrive and Aligned Healing.

To RSVP for a free, upcoming class email [email protected]

What is a Naturopathic Doctor?

Naturopathic doctors are educated and trained in accredited naturopathic medical colleges. They diagnose, prevent, and treat acute and chronic illnesses to restore and establish optimal health by supporting the person’s inherent self-healing process. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors work to identify underlying causes of illness and develop personalized treatment plans to address them. Their Therapeutic Order identifies the natural order in which all therapies should be applied to provide the greatest benefit with the least potential for damage.

1. Remove Obstacles to Health.
   The first step in returning to health is to remove the entities that disturb health such as: poor diet, digestive disturbances, inappropriate and chronic stress levels, and individual disharmony.
2. Stimulate the Self-Healing Mechanisms.
   ND’s use therapies to stimulate and strengthen the body’s innate self-healing and curative abilities.
3. Strengthen Weakened Systems.
   Systems that need repair are addressed at this level of healing.
4. Correct Structural Integrity.
   Physical modalities such as spinal manipulation, massage therapy, and craniosacral therapy are used to improve and maintain skeletal and musculature integrity.
5. Use Natural Substances to Restore and Regenerate.
   Naturopathic medicine’s primary objective is to restore health, not to treat pathology.
6. Use Pharmacologic Substances to Halt Progressive Pathology.
   If their state license permits, ND’s can prescribe pharmaceutical drugs themselves or if not, refer to a conventional medical colleague.
7. Use High Force, Invasive Modalities: Surgery, Radiation, Chemotherapy.
   When life, limb, or function must be preserved, NDs refer patients to MDs who are expertly trained in these arenas.