Dr. David Rábago's research has focused on the assessment of complementary and integrative medical therapies for conditions that have significant impact on the lives of patients and society; his research questions come directly from experience with patients in his family medical practice. The two clinical, patient-related issues to which Dr. Rábago has devoted most attention are therapy for chronic upper respiratory conditions and chronic pain. His work is directly relevant to more general concerns of antibiotic resistance and stewardship, and to opioid overuse.

Regarding upper respiration conditions, his work suggests that saline nasal irrigation, originally part of the Ayurvedic medical tradition, relieves sinus symptoms and may prevent progression of upper respiratory disease, potentially limiting the need for antibiotics. Current work in this area includes assessment of therapy for acute sinusitis, including saline nasal irrigation. He is the Penn State site principal investigator of a PCORI multi-center national study.

A second area of research includes the assessment of manual therapies for chronic pain, including a non-opioid injection technique called prolotherapy, a practice that dates from the early 20th century. Dr. Rábago's work includes seminal studies of prolotherapy for osteoarthritis of the knee and tennis elbow suggesting safety, efficacy, and effectiveness. He is an active collaborator with colleagues in the United States and internationally. Current work includes clinical trials assessing prolotherapy for low back pain, ankle laxity, and the underlying mechanism of action of prolotherapy.

Research methods in both areas span case reports and case series, randomized controlled trials (efficacy and effectiveness) and systematic reviews with meta-analysis. 

Dr. David Rábago is an active teacher and mentor. He began professional life as a middle- and high-school teacher in Milwaukee and Chicago. After a nine-year teaching career, he transitioned to academic medicine. He has taught clinical and research-related topics at the medical school and residency levels. He recently added postgraduate training and mentorship to his education portfolio as the director of a NRSA/HRSA T32 fellowship in primary care research.

As the Vice Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Family and Community Medicine one of his goals is to help optimize the relationships between clinical, research and education endeavors of academic family medicine to the benefit of each.

Dr. David Rábago is a board-certified family physician with an active continuity practice at Penn State Health Medical Group - Fishburn Road in Hershey, Pa. He is interested in health across the life span, with special interest in prevention, shared decision-making, and patient autonomy. His academic work includes assessment of complementary and integrative therapies in areas of concern to his patients, including chronic upper respiratory symptoms and chronic pain.

Member, North American Primary Care Research Group, 2002 to present

Member, American Academy of Family Physicians, 1997 to present

Diplomate, American Board of Family Medicine