Functional status is an important factor affecting clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture therapy. Authors of the present article make an analysis on the related descriptions of ancient classical books about the patient's body constitution, age, duration of disease, type of disease or clinical conditions, psychological state, etc. which determine the functional state of patients. Moreover, the authors also make some comments on the results of modern clinical trials and experimental studies. However, till now, the results of many related modern studies were lower in reliability due to unreliable methodology. Fewer clinical trials involve the patient's psychological state, and constitution from the viewpoint of Chinese medicine. Correspondingly, the related experimental studies are fewer. The authors suggest that in the coming days clinical trials should be greatly improved in quality and the mutual interference among the influential factors should be excluded. At the same time, experimental studies on the related biochemical mechanisms should be strengthened.