A Specialized Approach for Neck and Back Pain: Dr. Scott Raub… – Vail Daily 825706221773 Dr. Scott Raub helps people with severe and prolonged neck and back pain by treating the source of pain, working within limitations, and maximising potentials. As a physiatrist, he specializes at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery in accurately diagnosing musculoskeletal disorders through a variety of clinical exams, imaging and other diagnostic tests. He then treats them with nonsurgical interventions that include multiple modalities ranging from injections and physical therapy. Dr. Scott Raub, MD, joined Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery as the first physiatrist in Eagle County in 1999. It is often difficult to determine the exact cause of spinal problems due to the dense network of nerves. This is especially true when the pain originates from multiple areas. Dr. Raub specializes on determining the source of pain. This is done by examining patients and using diagnostic tools such as xrays, MRIs or live fluoroscopic images. He said that an MRI often does not show where the pain originates. It doesn’t have a “red arrow” indicating, “this is what hurts.” We use it along with a physical and a history exam. “Then we can make a plausible diagnosis of the pain generator.” Dr. Raub treats many patients who have already tried physical therapy and chiropractic adjustments, as well as multiple medications. He is quick to point out the fact that most spinal conditions don’t require surgery. He takes a collaborative approach and often incorporates spinal injections as well as a community of back-pain experts (physical therapists massage therapists chiropractors personal trainers etc.). ). Support Local Journalism Donate “My philosophy is to really improve symptoms,” he explained, describing his approach multimodal. “I always stress that injection results will never be a permanent solution, because they do not change or improve the anatomy. It’s important that people are educated to have realistic expectations once they start a treatment algorithm for spine pain. Dr. Raub uses a holistic (and realistic approach) to help patients optimize their activities, while making reasonable compromises. For example, taking the time to exercise regularly and reducing risks by avoiding crowded runs on skis or biking, or reducing speed during skiing or biking. Dr. Scott Raub specializes in accurately diagnosing musculoskeletal conditions through a range of clinical exams, images and other diagnostic tests. “One of the most important things you can tell people is that they don’t have an evil problem that will kill them. The vast majority of people are going to improve.” He said that it is important to demystify the pain, validate that there is a cause for your back pain and remind them that they are not going to be in a wheel chair. “There are some things we can improve the situation.” He encourages his patients to be a part of the solution both mentally and behaviorally. He said that the patient must also be willing to accept the treatment prescribed. This means modifying lifestyle risks, such as smoking, obesity or a sedentary life style, and setting realistic expectations. For example, a 65 year old can’t expect to be able to bounce around in a terrain park without back pain. Dr. Raub supports a youthful attitude. He calls it “a powerful tool for achieving positive results for spinal patients.” After completing his residency in physical medicine, rehabilitation, and pain management in 1994, and his fellowship in sports and exercise medicine in 1995, he joined VSON in 1999 as the first physiatrist to work in Eagle County. “It’s been the best part in my life, living and working here,” said he. “The people with whom I work are wonderful — they are educated and sophisticated people who are active and age well. The patients I take care of are fascinating individuals. “They’re here because the want to be here.” Dr. Raub, who is a skier, outdoor enthusiast, and a member of the VSON team, understands how important it is for his patients to maintain an active lifestyle. He and the VSON team are focused on helping people get back to what they love. “At VSON we have sub-specialty doctors who are top-notch and have the intellect, technology, and ability to work in a big city, if we chose to, but we value the mountain lifestyle,” said he. “Our patients receive big-city care within a small-town setting.”

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Severe and prolonged neck or back pain can be a scary experience, but Dr. Scott Raub focuses on ways to optimize people’s lives by treating pain sources, working with limitations and maximizing potentials.

As a physiatrist at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, he specializes in accurately diagnosing musculoskeletal conditions through a range of clinical exams, images and other diagnostic tests. Then, he treats them through nonsurgical interventions, which includes multiple modalities, ranging from injections to physical therapy.

Dr. Scott Raub joined Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery in 1999, becoming the first physiatrist to serve Eagle County. 

Many times, the cause of spinal pain is difficult to pinpoint given the density of nerves, particularly because pain can originate from more than one area. Dr. Raub specializes in determining the sources of pain, partially by discovering what provokes and improves symptoms through physical exams and diagnostic tools, such as x-rays, MRIs, live fluoroscopic imagery and electrodiagnostic testing, when appropriate.



“An MRI frequently doesn’t tell exactly where the pain is coming from — it doesn’t have a red arrow saying, ‘this is what hurts.’ We use it in conjunction with physical and history exams,” he said. “Then, from there, we come up with a plausible diagnosis for the pain generator.”

Dr. Raub sees a lot of patients after they’ve already tried physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments and multiple medications. He’s quick to point out that the vast majority of spinal conditions do not require surgery. Rather, he takes a collaborative approach, often incorporating spinal injections and a community of back pain experts (physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, personal trainers, etc.).

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“My philosophy is really trying to improve symptoms,” he said, describing his multimodal approach. “I always emphasize that injection results are never a permanent solution because they are not changing or improving the anatomy. It’s important to educate people that once you get into a treatment algorithum for spine pain to set realistic expectations.”

Through this holistic (and realistic) approach, Dr. Raub works with patients to optimize their activities while incorporating reasonable compromises, such as taking time to regularly exercise, and lowering risks, like avoiding crowded ski runs or reducing speed when biking or skiing.

Dr. Scott Raub specializes in accurately diagnosing musculoskeletal conditions through a range of clinical exams, images and other diagnostic tests.

“One of the important things that you have to tell people is, ‘You don’t have a sinister problem that you’re going to die of.’ The vast, vast majority of people will improve. It involves demystifying the pain and validating that there’s a reason for your back pain, but reminding them that this is not something that’s going to put you in a wheelchair,” he said. “There are things we can do to improve the situation.”



He encourages patients to be part of the solution, both behaviorally and mentally.

“There needs to be buy in from the patient in addition to the prescribed treatment,” he said.

That means not only doing exercises to strengthen core muscles and practice proper body mechanics, but also modifying lifestyle risks (such as smoking, overweightness or a sedentary lifestyle) and setting realistic expectations. For example, a 65-year-old can’t demand to return to a 20-year-old body capable of bouncing around in the terrain park with back pain.

That said, Dr. Raub does support a youthful attitude; he calls it a “powerful tool for achieving positive outcomes for spinal patients.”

In fact, the mountain region’s active community is what drew him to join VSON as the first physiatrist in Eagle County in 1999, after completing his residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain management, and then completing his fellowship in sports medicine in 1994.

“It really has been the best part of my life — living and working here,” he said. “The people I interact with are excellent — they’re sophisticated and educated people who age well and are very active. The patients I get to take care of are fascinating people. They’re here because they want to be here.”

As a skier and outdoor enthusiast himself, Dr. Raub understands the high priority his patients place on maintaining an active lifestyle, so he, and the entire team at VSON, focus on getting people back to doing what they love.

“At VSON, we have top-notch, sub-specialty trained doctors that have the ability, intellect and technological skill to work in the big city if we wanted to but value the mountain lifestyle,” he said. “Our patients get big-city care in a small-town environment.”