Review of reporting on external therapies of TCM

Non-pharmacological treatment in Chinese Medicine (NPTCM) plays a crucial and distinctive role in clinical practice, with a continuous increase in the number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). With the successive publication of Consolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) extensions for acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and Tuina/massage, this study aims to assess the reporting characteristics and quality of published RCTs based on these specific reporting checklists.