# @nickpappasmd on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwsBe0psxW
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70034194-nickpappasmd-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/e11a34fb5a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-01T22:02:23.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Nick Pappas, MD (@nickpappasmd) — https://gondola.cc/nickpappasmd

## Caption

📩 COMMENT “NEWSLETTER” for more health and orthopedic information like this!

Here are a few hills I’m willing to die on as an orthopedic surgeon 🦴👇

🧬 Stem cells do NOT magically regrow your cartilage. Despite the hype, there are currently no high-quality studies that definitively demonstrate that stem-cell injections reliably regrow normal articular cartilage in humans. There may be potential benefits for symptoms in certain conditions, but cartilage regeneration is a very different claim.

🥗 Nutrition absolutely belongs in an orthopedic discussion. A Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, nuts, and healthy fats can help support a lower-inflammatory dietary pattern, which may help with joint pain and overall musculoskeletal health.

🔴 Red light therapy isn’t just a wellness fad. Multiple studies of photobiomodulation have reported potential benefits for tissue healing, exercise recovery, muscle performance, and soreness. The results depend on the wavelength, dose, and condition being treated, so it’s not a cure-all.

😴 Sleep may be the most underrated recovery tool we have. Most adults should aim for roughly 7–9 hours per night. Sleep is an important period for the physiological processes involved in tissue repair, muscle recovery, and overall recovery from training and injury.

🩺 And yes, the last one is a joke. 😂 I have tremendous respect for anyone who can wear the “hospital necklace” — aka a stethoscope — around their neck all day. My dad is a retired cardiologist, and I swear he had one of those hospital necklaces around his neck for about 40 years straight.

What’s a health or orthopedic hill YOU would die on? 👇

#orthopedics #healthtips #recovery #longevity #orthopedicsurgeon

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## Tags

orthopedicsurgeon, healthtips, recovery, orthopedics, longevity

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