We performed 979 acupuncture treatments in 261 patients with chronic pain. A substantial number of patients stated that they had relief immediately following a series of four acupuncture treatments. It did not matter whether the needles were placed in the traditional meridian locations of in arbitrary fixed control points. Four weeks following treatment, 65% of the patients reported little or no reduction in the intensity of their pain, 17% reported a 50% reduction, and 18% at least a 75% reduction.