Dr. Teresa Jenkins Nature Works, a quiet revolution in alternatives to medicine, is located across the street from Dianne's on Devine. Teresa Jenkins, D.Ch., opened her clinic a year ago and is still settling in.

Jenkins was born in the Naval hospital in Charleston where her father was stationed in the Air Force. After leaving the Air Force, her father moved the family to Anderson, S.C., as he had a new career with J. P. Stevens. Another career move placed Jenkins in Rock Hill, where she finished high school.

After high school, Jenkins worked on the civilian side for a year. She then joined the Navy serving five years.

Jenkins was in intelligence, and her job title was cryptologic technician. She attained the rank of E- 5. Her future husband, Don, whom she met when both were stationed in Charleston, was an Annapolis graduate, a lieutenant, and a submarine navigator.

The two left the Navy at the same time in order to marry and start a family. Her husband's Navy work schedule of three months at sea alternating with three months at home was too intermittent for family management. He left active duty but remained in the Navy Reserves.

After serving in the Navy, Jenkins and her husband moved to Marietta, Ga., where he worked for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Atlanta.

Jenkins gave birth to her son Matt in 1981, and the couple adopted their daughter Anna Lee in 1989. Matt, another Annapolis alumnus, is a Marine in Iraq, and Anna Lee works at Nature Works.

In 1992, the family moved to Columbia, where Jenkins's husband worked for Hewlett Packard, IBM, and finally SCANA Software before going out on his own.

Jenkins learned to further appreciate herbs from Bob Baldwin, an herbalist who lives in West Columbia. She realized there was so much more to learn. She earned her degree as a doctor of chiropathy, or D.Ch.

In the Yellow Pages, Jenkins is listed under "holistic" and "nutrition." She is also certified as a master herbalist and a nutritional counselor. She is a NAET practitioner, which refers to Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques, an innovative, natural solution for allergies and allergy- related conditions.

Regardless of certification and education, the best gauge of Jenkins's accomplishments is the litany of testimonials from her patients.

"The human body is like a giant magnet that attracts and holds onto toxins. Heavy metals, partially oxidized fats, unassimilated proteins, cholesterol deposits, uric acid, plaque, lactic acid, and the vast array of chemicals that pervade our water, air and food attach themselves in ionized form to joints, organs, arteries, nerves and tissues, disrupting their function and creating an environment for disease, allergies and immune system breakdowns," said Jenkins.

All of which keeps the Nature Works waiting room full and keeps Jenkins on the job.