Razi Ann Berry, Publisher
After 20 years publishing NDNR monthly, I’ve heard this dismissal of case reports countless times. But I’ve come to believe we’re overlooking something critical:
Medicine has always been built on careful observation of individual patients.
Yes, RCTs are the gold standard. Yes, we need rigorous research. I get why people are skeptical of case reports (confirmation bias, lack of controls, cherry-picking). But here’s what large-scale studies can’t capture:
The patient who responds completely differently than the statistical norm
The unexpected remedy combination that changes someone’s life
The clinical insights from long-term patient relationships
The patterns that only emerge after seeing hundreds of individual cases
And let’s be honest: case reports are free from the institutional and economic biases we all know exist. No one’s spending millions to prove that a simple dietary change or an inexpensive botanical worked. These reports come from clinicians in the trenches, not boardrooms.
In natural medicine especially, where treatment is individualized and we’re working with complex botanical formulas, lifestyle interventions, and constitutional approaches, the case report isn’t just valuable. It’s essential.
Every medical breakthrough started with someone noticing something unexpected in a single patient. Penicillin. Aspirin for heart disease. The first successful immunotherapy. All began with careful observation, not a controlled trial.
The question isn’t whether anecdotes matter in medicine. It’s whether we’re humble enough to keep learning from them.
We need both: the rigor of research AND the wisdom of clinical observation.
Because at the end of the day, we don’t treat statistics. We treat individuals.
This is why our 20 years of case reports and clinical pearls at NDNR have become a trusted resource for NDs, MDs, DOs, nurse practitioners, and tens of thousands of healthcare providers. Real cases. Real outcomes. Real clinical wisdom.
What’s the most important clinical insight you’ve gained from a single patient case?
Razi Ann Berry
Publisher
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Razi Berry is the founder and publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (NDNR), which she co-founded in 2005 with Dr. David Tallman. NDNR publishes Applied Natural Medicine and provides continuing education to healthcare providers.
She has produced continuing education programs, multiple health summits, and a docuseries, and has hosted the annual Physicians Choice Awards since 2014. She founded The Vis Network Mastermind for naturopathic doctors and consults for natural products, nutraceutical, and device companies.
Her work has been recognized with the Champion of Naturopathic Medicine Award (2017) and Corporation of the Year Award (2009) from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and the Rising Tide Award (2019) and Impact Award for Best Digital Media (2016) from the Mindshare Collaborative.