HOUSTON -- Comprehensive testing at the Mayo Clinic confirmed Houston Rockets guard Steve Francis has an inner ear disorder which caused migraine headaches and frequently kept him off the court last season.

"Steve has shown a strong dedication to getting this resolved and we are very hopeful that he will continue improving and come back strong next season,'' Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said Friday.

The team's medical staff made an initial diagnosis in February of Francis' condition, called Meniere's Disease. The disorder results from an abnormal amount of fluid in the inner ear. The diagnosis was confirmed at the Mayo Clinic this week, the team said.

Francis has averaged 19.7 points over his three years with the Rockets. His scoring average is the fourth best in franchise history.

Despite being sidelined for 25 games this past season by a number of other ailments, most notably migraine headaches that kept him out of seven games, the 6-foot-3 Francis averaged 21.6 points, a career high.

The Rockets, however, finished out of the playoffs for a third straight year, staggering to 28-54 record, their worst finish in nearly two decades.