We did a descriptive study of 121 patients (71 women and 50 men) to explore the role of gender in coping with long-term intractable pain of the neck, shoulder and back and to determine the consequences of pain. Questionnaires used to assess the dependent variables were the Coping Strategy Questionnaire (CSQ) and the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI). Distinctions were found between men and women. In particular, the coping strategies used by women were those which in previous research had been found to be associated with dysfunction and poor outcome in terms of rehabilitation. Moreover, considering the consequences of pain on daily living, a more complex pattern of related factors was found in women rather than men. Given the high proportion of working women in Sweden with long-term musculoskeletal pain and considering recent observations in controlled studies showing that the benefits of cognitive behaviourally based treatments are confined to women, our findings suggest the need to tailor rehabilitative strategies differently for men and women and point to a research agenda which pays more attention to the distinctive challenges of women in the workplace when they are affected by chronic ailments.