08/31/2026
TRUE STORY - My patient is experiencing delayed healing of low back pain. After weeks of hands-on therapy and exercise, she is unhappy with her lack of progress (which is đŻ understandable).
She is CONSTANTLY exhausted, canât wait to take naps, also has heartburn and takes meds for reflux daily.
I sent her out for labs. Turns out her ferritin is at 6 đłđłđł Optimal levels are 65+. This explains a lot of her symptoms.
Low ferritin = low oxygen transport = low energy production = slow tissue repair & being tired all the time.
So, what did we do? Start taking an iron supplement? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Low iron/ferritin is a gut issue until proven otherwise. This is why most people get constipated supplementing with iron. Itâs not a consumption issue, itâs a digestion and/or absorption issue.
We started her on Betaine HCl with pepsin. But wait, she has heartburn! Wonât the HCl make it worse? No. In many cases of heartburn the issue is too little stomach acid, not too much đ¤Ż. You need stomach acid to break down foods that contain iron so you can absorb it.
Almost immediately her energy levels improved. In the following weeks, her low back pain started to resolve.
Itâs important to have a practitioner who knows when to take a look under the hood when progress fails to meet expectations.
meme credit: Amber Chartier | Low Ferritin & Iron Recovery