By Susan Cachay
There’s a lot of information circulating about the “four lows” pattern in HTMA assessments, especially when it appears on a retest. While some of it can be helpful, particularly in encouraging symptom tracking and individualized care, much of it oversimplifies a pattern that’s far more nuanced than it may appear at first glance.
I often hear from practitioners who are unsure how to interpret this state. In addition to offering some clarity, I’d like to address a few common misinterpretations that often cloud our understanding of what “four lows” truly represents.
Here are several key points that are essential when looking at four lows through the lens of mineral-nutritional balancing:
- Four Lows Is Not Automatically a “Diseased State”
Yes, many people in four lows feel unwell, fatigued, wired yet tired, or mentally foggy. But that doesn’t mean the pattern itself is pathological.
In many cases, four lows is a transitional state, not a permanent condition. On a retest, it often reflects a shift in the body’s priorities from surviving to repairing.
As preferred minerals are introduced and toxic metals begin to mobilize, the body may temporarily downregulate certain functions in favour of rest and recalibration. This is tied to what we refer to as the reversal of ionic mimicry. This concept helps explain why mineral levels don’t always rise predictably, even when the protocol is well-designed.
- It May Appear on a Retest, Even If It Wasn’t There Initially
This can be confusing. A client who was not in four lows on their initial test may show the pattern after beginning a protocol. But that’s not necessarily a cause for concern.
In many cases, it indicates the body is finally able to decompress, shifting out of sympathetic overdrive and into parasympathetic healing. From a mineral-balancing perspective, that’s not regression; it’s reorientation.
- Symptom Improvement and Lab Data Don’t Always Match Up
While it’s true that how a client feels is critical, it’s equally important to recognize that charts and symptoms don’t always shift in sync.
A client may feel significantly better even as four lows persists, or conversely, show chart “improvements” while still feeling depleted. This is why interpretation must be rooted in a broader context that includes symptom presentation, case history, and healing trajectory, not just the numbers.
- Today’s Environment Makes Four Lows More Common
Modern life is inherently mineral-depleting. Chronic stress, environmental toxins, processed foods, poor sleep, and overstimulation all contribute to burnout and mineral loss.
We’re seeing more clients enter four lows not because they’re “sick” but because they’re depleted, burnt out, and overextended.
Four lows is not a fixed diagnosis; it’s a snapshot of where the body is in its current state of adaptation and repair. It may indicate chronic depletion, but just as often, it signals meaningful progress.
As always, interpretation must be client-centered, symptom-informed, and rooted in a functional understanding of mineral dynamics, not fear. When done right, HTMA becomes less about labeling and more about listening.