Can a Chiropractor Help Me Get Social Security Disability for Back Pain?

When you apply for disability benefits due to back pain, the Social Security Administration (SSA) needs to see that you’ve been diagnosed with a medically determinable impairment from an acceptable medical source, typically a licensed physician with a medical degree (M.D. or D.O.). Chiropractors aren’t considered acceptable medical sources by Social Security, so you can’t use a note from your chiropractor to put you on SSDI or SSI disability benefits.

Just because your chiropractor can’t unilaterally put you on Social Security disability doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t seek out their opinion or provide the agency with your chiropractic records, however. And if you’re filing for short-term disability or taking time off work, a note from your chiropractor can help you get temporary benefits or medical leave. Having a note from your chiropractor that’s supported by the medical evidence can increase your chances of getting your disability claim or request for leave approved.

How Can a Chiropractor Put Me On Disability?

They can’t—at least not by themselves. Both the SSA and private short-term disability insurers will want to see objective imaging such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans that have been interpreted by an acceptable medical source (meaning doctors, certain nurse practitioners, and sometimes licensed physicians’ assistants). Chiropractors aren’t considered acceptable medical sources, so they won’t be able to diagnose you or form the basis of a successful claim all on their own.

But your chiropractor can provide important insights about your functional limitations, which lets disability claims examiners know how severe your back pain is and whether the pain is bad enough to keep you from working. For example, your chiropractor’s records should include an assessment of your spinal range of motion, which can establish whether you’re able to perform basic work-related tasks such as lifting objects above your head.

How to Use a Chiropractor’s Note to Support Your Disability Claim

A well-written, comprehensive chiropractor’s note—that’s not inconsistent with the rest of your medical record—can be used to establish restrictions in your residual functional capacity (RFC) that rule out the types of jobs you’re able to do. Ideally, your chiropractor will be aware of your doctor’s diagnosis about the source of the back pain. They can then provide insight into the exact movements that cause pain. “Pain at forward 40 degrees flexion,” for example, can be used to establish that you shouldn’t do any jobs requiring frequent bending.

The SSA or disability insurer can take these limitations into account when deciding whether to approve your claim provided that the limitations aren’t completely out of line with the rest of your medical evidence. A favorable note from your chiropractor won’t make up for a lack of medical imaging or diagnosis from an M.D., for example. When used properly, a chiropractor’s note can provide more details about what physical activities you can’t do at work, which can rule out more jobs and make it more likely that you’ll be considered disabled.

How Long Can a Chiropractor Take You Off Work?

In the majority of cases, a chiropractor’s note is not going to be a valid substitute for a note from a doctor. Most private and employer-provided short-term disability insurance policies require you to be under the care of a physician before they will approve you for temporary disability benefits. But if you live in one of the handful of states that provide publicly financed short-term disability benefits, about half of them currently allow a chiropractor to sign the medical certificate or certification on the claim form.

For example, California allows a chiropractor to certify your claim for that state’s short-term disability benefits. And if you apply online, you'll receive a receipt number that you can then give your chiropractor or other health professional so that they can submit their medical certification for your claim. Likewise, New York’s temporary disability benefits program allows for a chiropractor to fill out the claim form as long as they are licensed or certified.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), chiropractors are considered to be “capable of providing health care services,” but only when the treatment they provide consists of manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation that’s been documented on an X-ray. So if you’re taking time off work due to a spinal subluxation, your chiropractor can certify you for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave as long as you also provide the X-ray showing the subluxation.

Can a Chiropractor Get You ADA Accommodations?

Chiropractors can help you ask for reasonable accommodations for your back pain under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). So if your chiropractor is recommending that you take extra breaks in order to stretch your spine or that you need to recline in order to relieve pain, your employer may take that into consideration when determining how to make ADA-compliant workplace adjustments. (For more information, see our article on getting a workplace accommodation for back and neck pain.)

Why It’s Important to Get a Doctor's Opinion

If the only medical records you have in relation to your back pain are from a chiropractor’s office, the SSA will likely send you to a consultative examination on the agency’s dime. Consultative exams are performed by independent doctors hired by the SSA to provide medical opinions for disability claims. But these exams are brief and don’t always help your claim, because a doctor who only sees you once for 30 minutes isn’t going to understand your limitations as well as a provider who has seen you over a long period of time.

That’s why it’s best to schedule a visit with a doctor if your back pain is keeping you from working, and to follow up with regular appointments. When your doctor has become familiar with your condition, ask them to include in their treatment notes information regarding your functional limitations and actions that you now have difficulty performing as a result of your condition.

Once you’ve seen a doctor for several months (at least), you may want to ask them to write and submit a medical source statement on your behalf. Disability examiners often give special consideration to functional capacity forms completed by treating physicians, so getting your doctor’s help in filling out the form can be a significant boost to your claim. (Some doctors are reluctant to fill out lengthy paperwork, so it can help to make a separate appointment to go over the form with your doctor.)

What’s the Future Legal Landscape for Chiropractors and Social Security’s Regulations?

In 2017, the SSA changed its rule granting “controlling weight” to treating doctors, ostensibly to help balance the opinions from various medical providers when determining disability. Social Security has not changed its rule, however, that says a chiropractor is not an acceptable medical source, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon. With that in mind, it’s a smart idea to get a doctor’s opinion from the get-go.