Living with chronic pain can be difficult and challenging. Many pain clinics rely only on pain medications, leaving patients feeling drugged and dealing with side effects. In today's challenging environment, patients can also feel stigmatized, either by family members or other healthcare providers.

Here at Utah Pain Specialists, a team of accomplished and highly specialized pain management physicians is taking the clinic in a new and innovative direction to meet the needs of patients who want relief from chronic pain but are concerned about dependence on pain medications.

This, in a nutshell, is our philosophy: using minimally-invasive procedures to minimize pain and reduce reliance on opioid medications.

Rajiv R. Shah, MD

See what patients are saying about Dr. Shah

Dr. Rajiv Shah came to the USA in 1998 for the further pursuance of his medical career. As a kid, he was inspired to go in the medical field by his father who is a renowned Gynecologist in India. He moved to Utah in 2003 with his wife for her fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Utah.

Dr. Shah graduated from medical school at the Vadodara Medical College in India. His post-graduate training included an internship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, followed by a 3- year residency in Anesthesiology at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. He did his pain management fellowship at the Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. He is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties in Pain Management.

Aaron Smith, MD

Dr. Aaron Smith grew up in Maryland in the suburbs of Washington D.C. He completed his undergraduate education at Brigham Young University prior to attending medical school at the University of Minnesota. His post-graduate training includes completing his internship at Intermountain Medical Center after which he completed his residency in Anesthesiology and fellowship in pain management at the University of Utah. He is board certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine.

He recognizes that pain can be debilitating and life altering for many people. He is passionate in working with patients to develop personalized treatment plans to help patients manage their pain so they can do the things they enjoy.

Outside of work Dr. Smith enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, skiing, hiking, and camping. He and his family are avid sports fans. Recently he has ventured into backyard barbequing and cooking homemade pizza.