27th February 2017 Dave R.
I'm constantly looking for articles with information that may be of benefit to people living with nerve damage (neuropathy) but rejecting those that involve advertising a product or service. There are various 'newspaper' sites and blogs available (like mine) that attempt to do this on a daily basis but because they tend to rely on search bots, they trawl and publish articles that are actually subtly-constructed advertisements. The titles and 70% of the content seem completely convincing and are often helpful in the information they provide but their intentions are a little more devilish than that. Having hooked the readers into believing they're reading a genuine information article about their medical problem, they then launch the hard-sell and promote their own product and/or service. Already convinced, the reader takes the next logical step and reaches for their credit card.
Naturally, the worst are those that suggest they have a 'cure' for neuropathy - believe me, they don't...there is no cure currently for neuropathy! The best we can hope for is temporary relief from the symptoms, so if you see the word 'cure' in their text; treat the article with enormous skepticism because it's Trumpist 'fake news'!
Many commercial sites are extremely subtle in their approach. They have a product and/or treatment that may indeed help alleviate your symptoms. There's nothing wrong with what they say and they are not providing untruths. What they are doing is selling a product or service, to people who are desperate for any form of relief and those people are the most vulnerable to sales patter. If what they offer seems reasonable to you, do your own research to see if you can do it yourself but much cheaper. For instance, many products that claim to improve neuropathy symptoms long term, contain combinations of recognised vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, herbs which you can easily buy for yourself at a much cheaper rate. Of course there's convenience in buying something in one 'packet' so to speak (multivitamin tablets are a very successful case in point) but before you shell out your hard-earned cash, make sure you know exactly what you're buying and what it contains or entails. Let the buyer beware! A little research can lighten the load on your wallet (as well as increasing your knowledge base substantially).
The basic message here is: take every promise with a pinch of salt; be hyper critical of what's on offer and armed with as many facts as you can find, make a decision based on what's best for you and not what the advertiser tells you is best. Applies to everything in life doesn't it but we're a vulnerable market. We live daily with sometimes unbearable symptoms and we're 'open' for the next 'best thing' and will seize on exaggerated promises as if they're an oasis in the desert.
Of course there are genuine clinics and practices out there and genuine supplements and alternative therapies and treatments and you may benefit greatly from what they offer but please be a critical consumer - if they want money from you, they're going to exaggerate their claims - it's the name of the game. However, neuropathy patients are used to disappointments and can never say that 'if one thing works for him or her, it's bound to work for me' - it doesn't - neuropathy's too individual and unique to each patient for that, so we have to take responsibility for our own treatment. It's a minefield unfortunately but we need to sort out the wheat from the chaff and reject those who are only interested in emptying our wallets. Desperate patients will clutch at straws (nobody knows that better than the long-term nerve pain sufferer) but we deserve better than to be seduced by sly and clever advertising jargon. It's up to you. If you don't buy into it, it will go away and you'll be doing a service for the rest of the community.
Good luck
Dave R.
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