肩凝り

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 肩凝り is read as かたこり and is a noun for stiffness, tightness, or heaviness in the shoulders.
• Basic usage: Feeling shoulder stiffness appears in 肩凝りを感じる, while asking whether it is present appears in 肩凝りの有無.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Persistent tightness
  • 肩凝り describes shoulders feeling tight or heavy from factors such as work or posture and does not necessarily imply a sudden injury.
• Difference from 肩が痛い
  • 肩が痛い directly states that the shoulder hurts, while 肩凝り mainly refers to continuing stiffness or muscular tightness.