What Is the Medical Term for Difficulty in Walking?

Reviewed by Tomas Diaz, MD

Emergency Medicine

"Gait disturbance" is the medical term for difficulty in walking. This term describes any abnormality in a person's walking pattern.

Explanation

Gait disturbance is a medical term for when someone has trouble walking normally. It encompasses various walking problems, including changes in walking patterns after an injury like a sprained ankle or difficulty walking after a stroke. This medical term allows doctors to describe and discuss walking difficulties before even identifying their underlying cause.

(References)

Updated 2024 Apr 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560610/
Tarolli CG, Lizarraga KJ. Approach to the Patient with Gait Disturbance. Semin Neurol. 2021 Dec;41(6):717-730. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1726355. Epub 2021 Nov 26. PMID: 34826874.
Updated 2023 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559243/

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