OBJECTIVE: NeP is managed by a variety of clinicians and might be caused by broad aetiologies. The economic impact of medical management is poorly known. The aim of this research was to estimate the cost of medical management of NeP in Pain Units (PU) in Spain, and to determine possible differences according to aetiology. METHODS: Consecutive NeP patients were recruited in this cross-sectional & retrospective study between April and December 2004 in PUs. Demographic data, NeP type and cause, origin of the derivation, and health resources consumption (drugs, non-pharmacological therapies, medical visits, hospitalizations, diagnostics tests) were collected from existing medical records and patient interview. Costs of resources at their 2004 values were applied to calculate total cost from the National Health System perspective. Descriptive statistics and ANCOVA models were used. RESULTS: Five-hundred-four NeP patients of broad aetiology (44% radiculophaty, 21% neuralgias, 11% neurophaties, 7% entrapment syndromes, 5% CRPS, 4% central pain), 57.8+0.7 years (Mean+SE), 57.6% women, and 29.6+2.2 months of evolution, were enrolled in the study. Unadjusted monthly average cost was 422+36€. Adjusted monthly cost was significantly higher than average for neurophaties (580+90€, p=0.011), because of the higher number of hospitalization days (0.6+0.1, p=0.021) and pharmacologic costs (162+17€, p=0.001). Radiculophaties showed lower adjusted costs than the average; €287+€46, p=0.026, because of the lower cost of hospitalization; €79+€38, p=0.027. CONCLUSIONS: NeP causes a considerable utilization of health resources with a substantial cost for the National Health Service. Neurophaties showed the higher cost per month per patient, whereas that of the radiculophaties was significantly lower than the average.