This post has been brewing for a while, and I’ve just gotten to the point where I’ll scream if I see yet another website promoting a program that promises a TMJ “cure,” (but delivers nothing you can’t find yourself for free on the internet).
If you are like most patients, you have been to the end of the internet and back looking for information about TMJ disorder. You’ve searched most of your symptoms, all of the potential treatments you have heard about, any medication your doctor has recommended, etc. You’re looking for helpful information written by patients that have been through it.
Is it possible some of the websites you’re reading about TMJ disorder could be leading you down the wrong path?
How do you tell if a website has ulterior motives? I’ll give you five tips that should separate the sites that have legitimate information from the sites that are just trying to pry you away from your hard earned cash.
1. It’s hard to find any information about the author and his or her reasons for creating the site.
Is there a picture of the author(s)? Are they active on the site, answering questions or at least thanking the readers for commenting? Why did they create the site? What is in it for them?
For example, here on TMJ Hope, it’s quite clear who I am and why I created the site – I’m a patient, and I’ve created the site because so many patients need support and information. I don’t make any money off of the website – in fact, I spend my money to maintain it.
2. The articles seem to address popular topics but don’t actually provide any answers. The website never mentions the latest science or talks about research.
You notice that the articles seem to address all the burning questions that TMJ disorder patients have, but yet they answer very few (if any) questions. The articles seem like they are being written by someone who either a) doesn’t have TMJ disorder or b) is dumbing down the articles.
3. There are strategically placed links that link to websites attempting to sell you a $37-$67 “system” for “curing” your jaw pain.
4. The articles all interlink to each other in a confusing way that makes it hard to find your way around the website. It’s like a maze that never ends, and you can never find your way home.
5. The site makes claims that seem too good to be true. It promises quick results, and they are unique results – meaning, it’s hard to find other sites making the same claims.
The infromation seems obscure, and the dramatic miraculous results with breakthroughs, secret ingrdients
Does the site make health claims that seem too good to be true? Does the information use deliberately obscure, “scientific” sounding language? Does it promise quick, dramatic, miraculous results? Is this the only site making these claims?
- Beware of claims that one remedy will cure a variety of illnesses, that it is a “breakthrough,” or that it relies on a “secret ingredient.”
- Use caution if the site uses a sensational writing style (lots of exclamation points, for example.)
- A health Web site for consumers should use simple language, not technical jargon.
- Get a second opinion! Check more than one site.
Great advice, Stacy. In our desperation for relief, sometimes we want to believe things that are too good to be true and we are tempted to spend any amount to obtain the help that these sites promise. My mother always said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”