When I was preparing for the excellent adventure that was The Relay, I read an eat.blog.run post on the Moji Knee Brace with interest.
My right knee has been all "crinkly" ever since a car rear-ended me at a stoplight. (Instead of crashing into the car in front of me, I slammed on the brakes, thereby sacrificing my knee.) My HMO said it was just "sudden-onset arthritis" but I'm pretty sure something snapped in there. So it snaps, crackles, and pops. Sometimes it hurts, but mainly it just sounds funny. Still, after races, my knee is sore, so I often ice it.
Before learning of Moji, I used the traditional runner's bag-of-frozen-peas method. That is all well and good, but requires that I stay in one place, carefully balancing and repositioning the veggies as needed.
I was intrigued with Moji's icing system because it actually wraps around the knee. Better coverage and greater mobility? Wow!
But, I hesitated on actually making the purchase. I had just spent a lot of money on various race fees (and clothing!) for myself, and swim lessons for the kids, and all those other fun expenditures that come with summer vacation. I figured I could endure the frozen peas awhile longer.
I kept going back to Moji's website though. I kept reading reviews. And I asked my friends who had actually given it a shot for their opinion.
At BlogHer, I received a coupon for a free Moji Tension Release. That was just the motivation I needed. I figured that as long as I was redeeming my coupon, I might as well purchase the knee system for myself.
I am so glad that I did.
Let me repeat: I should not have hesitated. The Moji Knee system is incredible.
I bought the "double-ice" so that I could ice both knees after running. I purchased one brace, so ice my "crinkly" knee first for 20 minutes, then retrieve the second ice pack to ice my other knee for 20 minutes as a preventative measure. On occasion, I'll skip the second knee, but use the second ice pack to ice a different part of my body if needed. Sure, the coverage is optimal for the knee, but its flexibility means it can go around an elbow, or I can step on it (gently!) for foot pain.
I am so in love with my Moji ice that I actually brought it with me for the Disneyland Half-Marathon. I was a little worried TSA might think it was some sort of threat (check out its excellent "X" shape.) Plus, I didn't think about how the condensation might make everything else in my suitcase moist. Oh well! I'm still glad I brought it. I stuck the cells in the hotel refrigerator. Although they were of course not as cold as usual when frozen, I was still happy to cool down my knee after the race. (Next time I'll defrost the cells completely before packing them, but then perhaps create a little tub of hotel ice to freeze them pre-race.)
I've read some reviews of Moji that complain about the cells being "too cold." I don't find this the case at all; however, if you are super-sensitive, it might make sense to ice over your running tights (I've done this often just because I've been too tired to get out of my clothes and want to ice immediately before my whole showering routine. After all, a hot shower is not the best thing for post-race muscles, even if it might feel fantastic in the short term to be clean!) I've used the ice on bare skin many times as well. Both ways are fine by me, and are comfortable.
My knees are definitely less sore after icing. I honestly haven't had any problems with my knees as long as I remember to ice. The Moji system is an easy and effective way to do this.
As for the other product I received - the Moji Tension Release - I have sort of mixed feelings. On one hand, I love the concept, but unfortunately I found the product to be a bit too large for my shoulders. I should have ordered the S/M rather than the M/L; but, I ordered the latter because I am a large-chested gal and have always considered myself to have large shoulders. My below-breasts measurement was exactly in the middle of the two sizes, so I ordered up when I really should have ordered down.
The Tension Release keeps its heat for awhile and is definitely soothing, so if it fit me well, it would have been perfect. Instead, I need to adjust it a bit to cover whichever part needs the most heat, and then lie down to keep it in place. This is certainly a do-able scenario, but just not quite as simple as being able to slip it on and get simultaneous relief of both shoulders, for example. My son loves the Tension Release even though it is way too large for him. But he still finds it comforting.
I'm definitely glad that I tried out the Tension Release, and I'm extremely glad that I finally took the plunge to purchase the Moji Knee!
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Disclaimer: I purchased the "double ice" system from Moji on my own dollar. I received the tension release back/neck wrap for free from the SocialLuxe party at BlogHer. I will receive no further compensation for this post, nor will I receive any commission should any of my readers choose to purchase a Moji product.
