Many people with back pain seek treatment with chiropractors as a lower cost and non-invasive form of treatment. Many mainstream medical organizations dispute the effectiveness of spinal manipulation techniques, while practitioners cite numerous scientific studies and patient testimonials to argue for the benefit of this type of therapy.
At this point, however, Social Security considers chiropractic to be an alternative form of health care treatment and it assigns no weight to the opinion of its practitioners. In my experience, disability adjudicators will not request chiropractic records and judges will not assign these records any weight at hearings.
A functional capacity form completed by a licensed practitioner will not carry any weight with a Social Security judge. If you are treating with a chiropractor who has a working relationship with a medical doctor who recognizes the clinical effectiveness of non-invasive spinal adjustments, it can be useful to have the medical doctor complete the functional capacity form based on his own observations and treatment in concert with the treatment of the chiropractor.
Over the years, several clients have expressed frustration at Social Security’s position, but I see no changes imminent. So, if you are pursuing Social Security benefits and your only source of treatment is chiropractic, you are going to have an uphill battle.