David Rabago, MD

Dr. David Rabago'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.

Two primary areas to which Dr. Rabago has devoted most attention are chronic upper respiratory conditions and chronic pain.

His work suggests that saline nasal irrigation, originally from the Ayurvedic medical tradition, relieves sinus symptoms and may prevent progression of upper respiratory disease, limiting the need for antibiotics in many cases. Current work in this area includes assessment of saline nasal irrigation for acute sinusitis.

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. Rabago's work includes seminal studies of prolotherapy for osteoarthritis of the knee and tennis elbow suggesting both safety 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, and investigation of 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 Rabago 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 medicine, but retained roots in education. He has taught at the medical school and residency levels in clinical and research-related topics. More recently, he has added postgraduate mentorship to his education portfolio.

One of his goals as the inaugural vice chair for faculty development in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Penn State Health/Penn State College of Medicine is to help optimize the relationships between clinical, research and education endeavors of academic family medicine to the benefit of each.

Dr. David Rabago is a board-certified family physician with a 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 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

Board-certified in family medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, 1999 (recertified for 2009 to 2022)

Member, American Academy of Family Physicians, 1997 to present

Member, Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians, 1997 to present