Blind Man Finds Trip to Chiropractor

Tuesday, December 02, 2008, Norwich.

Doug Harkey - a Dubuque, Iowa man whose left eye suddenly stopped working 12 years ago - thought he was making a routine visit to his chiropractor. But, the results of his "normal" adjustment left Doug with new-found vision while leaving friends, family and some in the medical community speechless. However, a local chiropractor, Dr. Robert Wrieden of Norwich, is quick to credit his colleague from the Hawkeye State and the power of the human body.

Harkey's miracle - as first reported by Katie Wiedemann of KCRG-TV Channel 9 News in Dubuque - began to unfold following his visit to the chiropractic offices of Dr. Tim Stackis. "My blind eye started watering after I left there and it watered for 45 minutes straight. It started making my good eye water. I went to wipe my right eye - and I could see out of my left eye again," said Harkey. Dr. Stackis told his patient that the "adjustments" (chiropractic care) that he (Harkey) had been receiving alleviated the nerve interference that had prevented his spinal column from properly communicating messages from his brain. Once full communication was restored, so was Harkey's sight.

"It is important to note that Dr. Stackis never once claimed that chiropractic care cured this man's blindness," added Dr. Robert Wrieden. "He just provided quality care. The adjustments eliminated nerve interference that had prohibited the human body from operating at peak efficiency. And, when operating at peak efficiency, the human body can do great things - just ask Doug Harkey," smiled Robert Wrieden.

As for Harkey, the timing could not be better. He credits Dr. Stackis' "miracle hands" for the depth perception he had been missing - which helped him navigate his walk down the aisle with new wife Gina last month. The return of his vision, now nearly perfect with the help of corrective lenses, has left the couple with some welcome adjustments. "I'm not quite used to him not running into things or stepping on my feet," Gina quipped.

Dr. Robert Wrieden sees Harkey's tale - which thanks in part to the Internet is becoming well-traveled - as one that will help educate the public about chiropractic care and the importance of taking good care of your body. "No man-made technology or medicine will ever surpass the capabilities and genius of the human body. Think about this...when you cut yourself - you heal. When the climate changes - your body adjusts. Who wouldn't want their body operating at maximum capacity? In short, chiropractic care is a great vehicle to improve your general health and function," concluded Robert Wrieden.

For Doug Harkey of Dubuque, Iowa, the benefit of such care was more than he could possibly have envisioned.