What Is Body Tempering & How Does It Work?

What is Body Tempering?

Body tempering (BT), a form of soft tissue mobilization developed by Donnie Thompson in 2014, is performed by placing heavily weighted cylinders across muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia. As a result, this can help prepare the muscle for activity and improve muscle recovery. Think of it as foam rolling on steroids.

Now, I’m sure there are many that will read this and argue that foam rolling is a waste of time but there is quite a bit of research that supports the use of foam rolling to help create temporary improvement in mobility. Because the results people see from foam rolling are temporary and don’t create long-term changes, many will say that we should stop using this modality in our training. However, we can use these temporary changes to our advantage as a part of a bigger mobility plan.

Does it work?

We’ve found it works well for improving mobility, and it’s become one of our go-to soft tissue tools for that reason. Patients tend to see results at least as good as traditional foam rolling, usually with less discomfort along the way, thanks to the tool’s large surface area spreading pressure out instead of concentrating it the way a thumb, elbow, or smaller tool does.

One thing matters more than the tool itself: passive work like this loosens tissue temporarily, and that gain only sticks if it’s followed by active movement. Your Doctor of Physical Therapy pairs body tempering with the active exercise that reinforces the new range in the same session.

How do I get started with Body Tempering?

Ask your Doctor of Physical Therapy whether body tempering fits into your plan.