THE federal government has spent almost $30 million in five years subsidising alternative medical treatments that are not scientifically proved for many conditions and could be dangerous for some patients.

The amount spent annually on chiropractic and osteopathic treatments under the chronic disease management program rose from $1.8 million in 2006 to $10 million last year, a Herald analysis of Medicare figures has found.

Therapy ... chiropractor Mary Papatheocharous treats Dimitra Saroukos at the Brighton Chiropractic Centre. Credit:Steven Siewert

Between 2006 and last year the government paid almost $19 million in subsidies for chiropractic treatments alone, including more than $280,000 on children aged up to 14.

Alastair MacLennan, a critic of alternative medicines who is the head of discipline in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Adelaide, said the government should fund only evidence-based treatments.