# @nickpappasmd on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DdKSnLdiWch
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70313286-nickpappasmd-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/c2e62cbaec.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-11T20:40:10.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Nick Pappas, MD (@nickpappasmd) — https://gondola.cc/nickpappasmd

## Caption

📩 Comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you a link to my FREE weekly newsletter with more evidence-based health, orthopedic, recovery, and private practice information.

After 15 years as an orthopedic surgeon, there are a few things I wish more people understood 👇

1️⃣ Losing weight can have a huge impact on your knees. Research suggests every 1 lb of weight loss can reduce the load across the knee by roughly 4 lbs per step. Even modest weight loss can make a difference. 🦵

2️⃣ Most low back pain does NOT need surgery. Roughly 90% of acute low back pain episodes improve with conservative treatment. 💪

3️⃣ Stem cells do not magically regrow cartilage. 🧬 There is still no convincing high-quality human evidence that stem-cell injections reliably regenerate normal articular cartilage in an arthritic joint. Be careful with anyone promising otherwise.

4️⃣ Sleep may be the most underrated recovery tool we have. 😴 Your body performs critical recovery and repair processes while you sleep. For most adults, 7–9 hours per night is a great target.

5️⃣ Starting my own private practice was the best professional decision I ever made. 🩺 More control over my schedule, more control over how I care for patients, and ultimately more control over my life. I only wish I had done it sooner.

#orthopedics #orthopedicsurgeon #health #longevity #privatepractice

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## Tags

orthopedicsurgeon, orthopedics, longevity, privatepractice, health

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