■ OBJECTIVES: The Merck Manual states that the cause of Meniere’s disease is unknown; the pathophysiology is poorly understood, and the treatment empirical. (1) Idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops is used interchangeably with Meniere’s disease in the literature. “What would cause an over production of endolymphatic fluid?” My theory is that the most common cause of Meniere’s disease is a structural problem, i.e., an atlas subluxation that is irritating the origin of CNVIII. My objective is to demonstrate the effectiveness of cervical specific chiropractic management with one hundred patients medically diagnosed with Meniere’s disease.

■ METHODS: Detailed case histories were on first visit, followed by spinal examinations. Patients were required to furnish a letter from their ENT specialists, along with copies of the reports from the tests performed. Because evidence of upper cervical subluxation was discovered in each patient, three cervical x-rays were taken; lateral, A-P open mouth and nasium. Detailed leg checks were performed utilizing the modified Prill leg check system (2) to determine which cervical vertebrae to adjust, and when to adjust it.

■ RESULTS: X-Rays were analyzed using the Blair technique. There are four atlas listings under this system: anterior and superior on the right or the left, and posterior and inferior on the right or the left. Ninety four out of one hundred patients had inferior and posterior listings with laterality on the opposite side of their involved ear. (4) After one or two specific cervical adjustments, ninety-eight out of the one hundred patients presented with balanced legs and an absence or dramatic reduction of symptoms, especially vertigo. After one year, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing the absence of the symptom and 10 being the worst imaginable, vertigo was lowered from an average of 7.5 to 2. (5,6).

■ CONCLUSIONS: Prior to the onset of symptoms, all one hundred cases suffered cervical traumas; most from automobile accidents, resulting in previously undiagnosed whiplash injuries. It cannot be coincidental that ninety four out of one hundred consecutive Meniere’s patients would present with a posterior and inferior atlas listing with laterality on the opposite side of the involved ear.