Numerous clinical trials have shown etodolac to be an effective analgesic. The purpose of the present report is to review results of 14 studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of etodolac in a variety of painful conditions. Presented are the results of four postsurgical pain studies, one study of acute gouty arthritis and nine studies of acute musculoskeletal disorders: acute low back pain, acute painful shoulder, tendinitis and bursitis, and acute sports injuries. A single oral dose of etodolac (25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg) was compared with aspirin (650 mg) or a combination of acetaminophen (600 mg) plus codeine (60 mg) for the relief of pain up to 12 h following oral, urogenital or orthopedic surgery. In multiple dose studies of acute gouty arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, etodolac 200 or 300 mg twice a day (b.i.d.) or 200 mg three times a day (t.i.d.) was compared with naproxen 500 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d., diclofenac 50 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d., and piroxicam 20 or 40 mg once a day (o.d.) administered over 5 to 14 days. The efficacy of etodolac was at least equal and in some ways superior to aspirin and acetaminophen plus codeine in the relief of postsurgical pain. In studies of acute gouty arthritis, significant improvement from baseline were seen for all efficacy parameters evaluated for both the etodolac- and naproxen-treated patients. All the present studies of musculoskeletal conditions have shown etodolac to be effective and comparable in analgesic efficacy to naproxen, diclofenac or piroxicam. In summary, etodolac therapy for pain following surgery, in acute gouty arthritis and in acute musculoskeletal conditions resulted in analgesia comparable to that provided by several well-established analgesic or anti-inflammatory agents.