CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) – House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s leadership team has put $1 million into the state budget for a Cranston chiropractor, despite the governor’s opposition and a top federal official’s skepticism about his work.

WPRI-TV reports that the chiropractor, Victor Pedro, is an advocate of a treatment program called cortical integrative therapy, or CIT, used to treat brain injuries and disorders. Ted Nesi discussed the situation with WPRO’s Matt Allen on Wednesday. Listen above.

Medical experts have repeatedly expressed doubts about CIT and Pedro requires payment in cash or checks only as it is not covered by most group health insurance plans.

But a spokesman for Mattiello, a Democrat, defended the proposed funding.

Larry Berman says Mattiello thinks the state should be committed to providing appropriate resources to a program offering unique care and treatment in difficult cases.

“Speaker Mattiello believes the state should be committed to providing appropriate resources to a program offering unique care and treatment in difficult cases and that gives individuals an improved quality of life, enabling them to live outside the confines of medical facilities. Some established providers would rather warehouse these often neediest of patients rather than offer relief when it is available,” said Berman.

“The Speaker feels that the application for federal coverage was filed by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services with the same level of competency that they created and currently operate the UHIP computer system. The citizens suffering from head trauma and brain injuries deserve better.”

Pedro and Mattiello’s relationship goes back several years.