The present study suggest consideration of sex-specific diffrences in disability in patients with musculoskeletal pain due to spinal degenerative disease. 

Pain arising due to the spinal degenerative disease significantly affects the quality of life of patients. In this cross-sectional study, the researchers evaluated the sex-specific effect of insomnia, psychological factors and pain severity on the chronic pain-related disability arising from spinal degenerative disease.

The analysis was performed on a total of 111 outpatients, with an initial diagnosis of chronic spinal degenerative disease. The chronic spinal degenerative disease was defined as the presence of localized neck or lower back pain for more than three months confirmed by the findings of nerve root compression on neurological imaging studies. The patients were assessed using Pain Disability Assessment Scale (PDAS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). To find the influence of sex on the PDAS score, univariate regression analysis was conducted. The variables linked to the PDAS score were identified using sex-stratified multivariate regression analysis.

The significant predictor of PDAS score was recognized as sex. The AIS score was found to be linked to PDAS in men while age and NRS were linked to PDAS in women. In both genders, no association between HADS-A, HADS-D, PCS and PDAS were noted.

A significant association between insomnia and disability in men and ageing and pain severity in women was noted. However, in both sexes, catastrophic thinking was not linked to the disability.