Body Tempering
Body Tempering (BT) is a soft tissue treatment technique developed by Donnie Thompson in 2014 that involves deep and heavy pressure to muscles using weighted steel cylinders that are held statically on or moved slowly along the length of a muscle. It is common for people to use foam rollers, lacrosse balls etc. to roll on and over tissues that feel tight or sore in an effort to improve the way they feel and/or function. Body Tempering is working on this same principle but with exponentially greater effect. The weight is much heavier and the patient can lay passively while the weights are passed over them vs. having to actively hold yourself in an awkward position to get the job done such is the case with foam rolling. The result is considerably greater with minimal effort by the patient.
There are many theories on how and why Body Tempering is effective. Dr. Zacharko primarily uses this modality in an effort to reduce neuromyofascial tone and therefore the feeling of “tightness”. In addition, rolling heavy weights or keeping a heavy weight statically on a tendon or other connective tissue should cause that tissue to become stronger over time and thus better able to tolerate the forces an athlete is asking the tissues generate during their particular sport.
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