Authors: Şule Çekiç¹; Beyza Yılmaz¹; Sinem Özbey¹; Buse Çöllü¹; Eda Lale Köroğlu¹
¹Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University
Background: Chiropractic interventions have gained significant popularity, yet their specific impact on the auditory and vestibular systems remains a subject of ongoing clinical inquiry. This systematic review aims to investigate the effects of chiropractic care on these systems and evaluate the reported clinical outcomes.
Method: A systematic search was conducted on November 31, 2024, across PubMed, EBSCO, and Web of Science databases following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42024615753). Keyword combinations included “Chiropractic” paired with “Hearing”, “Vestibular”, “Hearing loss”, and “Vestibular system”.
Results: Due to the prevalence of case reports, this review details five specific studies (n=186; ages 0–75) consisting of case series, pilot, and non-randomized trials. Two studies focused on the vestibular system, one on the auditory system, and three on combined audio-vestibular disorders. Four studies reported symptomatic improvement following cervical-focused interventions, while one observed clinical deterioration.
Conclusion: The predominance of case reports highlights a significant gap in high-level evidence regarding chiropractic care in audio-vestibular health. Reported efficacy appears closely linked to cervical sensorimotor control and musculoskeletal issues in the head-neck or temporomandibular regions. A multidisciplinary approach integrating objective imaging (X-ray, MRI) with otological expertise is essential. Future research should prioritize standardized clinical trials to validate these localized clinical observations.