肩 凝(かたこ)り

かたこり

noun

stiff shoulders; shoulder tension

health body-part

1. stiff shoulders; shoulder tension

Muscle stiffness and tension in the shoulder and neck area, often caused by poor posture, stress, or desk work.

肩凝(かたこ)りがひどい。

My shoulders are really stiff.

パソコン作業(さぎょう)で肩凝(かたこ)りになった。

I got stiff shoulders from working on the computer.

マッサージで肩凝(かたこ)りを解消(かいしょう)した。

I relieved my stiff shoulders with a massage.

Etymology

肩(かた) (shoulder) + 凝(こ)り (stiffness) - from 凝(こ)る (to stiffen)

Writing

Often written 肩(かた)こり, with こり in hiragana.

Cultural note

肩凝(かたこ)り is an extremely common complaint in Japan, particularly among office workers. Massage parlors, heat patches, and stretching exercises targeting 肩凝(かたこ)り are widely available.

Related words

腰痛(ようつう) - back pain
頭痛(ずつう) - headache
寝違(ねちが)え - stiff neck from sleeping wrong

Common collocations

肩凝(かたこ)りがひどい - have severe shoulder stiffness
肩凝(かたこ)りを解消(かいしょう)する - to relieve stiff shoulders

Related Words

Related: 腰痛(ようつう) (back pain)

Related: 頭痛(ずつう) (headache)

Related: 寝違(ねちが)え (stiff neck from sleeping wrong)

general

Added 2026.1.21 8:30 · Revised 2026.10.12 3:41

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