Responsiveness to Acupuncture varies from one patient to the next. Less than 5% of the population do not respond to acupuncture. Of the more than 95% of people who respond to acupuncture, approximately 80% are good reactors, who will respond to the first treatment. Within this group is a sub-group of people who are very strong reactors. They comprise approximately five percent of people who experience an aggravation of symptoms after treatment. This aggravation is harmless and is always followed by a more prolonged improvement in symptoms. Strong reactors require less frequent therapy and their problems tend to resolve with less treatment. Aggravation of symptoms can be avoided by varying the treatment technique without changing the benefits of therapy.

At the other end of the scale is a sub-group of slow or delayed reactors which comprise about 15% of the population. Most in this group will show some response to treatment only after a few sessions of therapy. The majority of these people will still respond reasonably well to acupuncture. A small number in this group are however very slow to respond, and reactions are usually very gentle. Very occasionally, a positive response occurs only after cessation of therapy.