ABSTRACT
Alternative health care, or perhaps a variety of health care options, has characterized North America since the time of the founding of the colonies. In the early 1830s a number of states introduced licensure of regular physicians. The main purpose of this was to capture the market from the irregulars by preventing them from practicing. The regulars argued that they were scientific practitioners whereas the irregulars were quacks. Chiropractic relies on spinal manipulation to treat back problems and other medical conditions. Perhaps because chiropractic is the major competitor to allopathic medicine in the medical marketplace, the American Medical Association (AMA) launched all-out war against chiropractors in the mid-1960s. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established a special Health Fraud Unit that works closely with the National Association of Attorneys General and the Association of Food and Drug Officials. The purpose of the unit is to achieve better coordination among states and local enforcement agencies to target specific health frauds.
