An i mplantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) for generating electroacupuncture stimulation pulses that are applied substantially at or near a specified target tissue location, comprising: a housing (124, 122) having a thickness of no greater than about 2.5 mm; at least one cathodic electrode and at least one anodic electrode formed as an integral part of the housing; stimulation circuitry (200, 202, 210) residing inside the housing and electrically coupled to the at least one cathodic and at least one anodic electrodes, wherein the stimulation circuitry generates EA stimulation pulses that are delivered to the target location through the at least one cathodic and at least one anodic electrodes in accordance with a prescribed stimulation regimen, wherein said stimulation regimen defines the duration and rate at which a stimulation session is applied, said stimulation regimen requiring that the stimulation session have a duration of T3 minutes and a rate of occurrence of once every T4 minutes, wherein the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05, and wherein during each stimulation session EA stimulation pulses having one or more specified widths and amplitudes are generated at one or more specified rates; and a coin-cell type primary battery (215, 132) residing inside the housing that provides the operating power for the stimulation circuitry, wherein the primary battery has an internal impedance greater than 5 ohms; wherein the at least one cathodic electrode is located on a top or bottom surface of the housing and positioned no closer than 5 mm from the closest edge of the nearest at least one anodic electrode, and wherein the total surface area of the at least one cathodic electrode is no smaller than about 0.5 mm 2, and wherein the at least one anodic electrode (120, 220) is formed as a ring electrode residing substantially around a perimeter edge of the housing or comprises multiple small anodic electrodes distributed around the perimeter edge of the housing. a housing (124, 122) having a thickness of no greater than about 2.5 mm; at least one cathodic electrode and at least one anodic electrode formed as an integral part of the housing; stimulation circuitry (200, 202, 210) residing inside the housing and electrically coupled to the at least one cathodic and at least one anodic electrodes, wherein the stimulation circuitry generates EA stimulation pulses that are delivered to the target location through the at least one cathodic and at least one anodic electrodes in accordance with a prescribed stimulation regimen, wherein said stimulation regimen defines the duration and rate at which a stimulation session is applied, said stimulation regimen requiring that the stimulation session have a duration of T3 minutes and a rate of occurrence of once every T4 minutes, wherein the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05, and wherein during each stimulation session EA stimulation pulses having one or more specified widths and amplitudes are generated at one or more specified rates; and a coin-cell type primary battery (215, 132) residing inside the housing that provides the operating power for the stimulation circuitry, wherein the primary battery has an internal impedance greater than 5 ohms; wherein the at least one cathodic electrode is located on a top or bottom surface of the housing and positioned no closer than 5 mm from the closest edge of the nearest at least one anodic electrode, and wherein the total surface area of the at least one cathodic electrode is no smaller than about 0.5 mm 2, and wherein the at least one anodic electrode (120, 220) is formed as a ring electrode residing substantially around a perimeter edge of the housing or comprises multiple small anodic electrodes distributed around the perimeter edge of the housing.