i use thai massage to soften muscle/ fascia. i have found it is an excellent technique to initiate treatment as it is comfortable for the patient which helps build bettter rapport. the technique involves knowledge of acupressure points and meridian lines. i also apply this technique along the myofascial slings as descibed by tom myers. technique is important to apply the pressure properly about joints. physio Atit is doing some interesting studies in thailand on the effectiveness of this technique so check it out