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Difficulty Walking

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Try one of these related symptoms.

Walking difficulties

Can't walk

Sudden inability to walk

Abnormal gait

Trouble walking

Shuffle when I walk

Difficulty walking in a straight line with one foot directly in front of the other

Gait is too unstable to walk following a straight line (e.g. like a tightrope)

Waddling gait

Need to hold into something for supoport while walking

Unable to walk properly

Struggling to walk

About the Symptom

Difficulty walking generally describes a person's inability to walk normally. Normal walking consists of a repeated shifting of weight from leg to leg, a back and forth arm swing on both sides, and a typically narrow space between the feet. Most cases of difficulty walking are related to a medical problem.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

Difficulty in walking

Possible Causes

Generally, Difficulty walking can be related to:

Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy
Olive bridge cerebellar atrophy, also known as Olivopontocerebellar atrophy, is the degeneration of neurons in specific areas of the brain like the cerebellum, pons, and inferior olivary nucleus. It is a hereditary condition.
Cerebellar Tumor
These tumors are tumor found in the cerebellum, which is located in the back of the brain. They can cause increased intracranial pressure and headache, and difficulties with balance or coordination. They can arise from brain cells or they may have spread from a tumor found in another part of the body.
Subacute Cerebellar Degeneration
Subacute cerebellar degeneration (SCD) is characterized by loss of brain cells from the cerebellum, which controls balance and coordination of movements. SCD can be caused by inherited genetic mutations, alcohol abuse, vitamin deficiencies, certain brain infections, brain tumors, or autoimmune disorders such as mutiple sclerosis, celiac disease, Sjogren syndrome, and paraneoplastic syndromes, which are rare, abnormal immune responses to cancerous tumors.
Sydenham Chorea
Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum (OLF)
Spinal Cord Intramedullary Tumor
Striatal Substantia Nigra Degeneration
Metachromatic Leukodystrophy
Telangiectasia Ataxia

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Difficulty walking may be related to these serious diseases:

Cerebellar Hemorrhage / Infarction
Cerebellar hemorrhage/infarction, or cerebellar stroke, is a type of stroke that affects the posterior part of the brain, specifically the cerebellum. This leads to deficits in motor and balance control. It can be caused by trauma, rupture of blood vessels in the brain due to high blood pressure or small vessel disease, and is more common in middle-aged and older individuals.

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

Do you have difficulty walking normally?
When did you first notice the difficulty walking normally?
How is your difficulty walking normally now?
Do you drag your feet when you walk?
Is it difficult for you to walk in a straight line heel-to-toe?

Reviewed By:

Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)

Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

From our team of 50+ doctors

Content updated on Feb 6, 2025

Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy

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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

Body leans to one side when walking
Unable to walk in a straight line, with the toes of the first foot touching the heel of the next one at each step
Have to walk with an aid (holding onto something)
Walking with legs spread left and right
Cannot walk properly transiently
Dragging my toes when I walk
My stride has become shorter
Shuffling when walking
Walking abnormalities
I can't walk without grabbing onto something
Walking with legs open on both sides
Gait disturbances that recovered
Gait disturbances that went away
Decreasing my stride length
My foot drags on the ground

See full list

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FAQs

What Should Be Considered When Experiencing Sudden Difficulty Walking?

When experiencing sudden difficulty walking, it's important to consider brain conditions such as stroke. However, gait changes can also stem from problems with muscles, nerves, blood flow, or age-related changes.

References:

Jain S, Kolber MR. A stiff-legged gait: benign acute childhood myositis. CMAJ. 2009 Nov 10;181(10):711-3. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.090781. Epub 2009 Oct 13. PMID: 19825926; PMCID: PMC2774365.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235/

Boripuntakul S, Kamnardsiri T, Lord SR, Maiarin S, Worakul P, Sungkarat S. Gait variability during abrupt slow and fast speed transitions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. PLoS One. 2022 Oct 21;17(10):e0276658. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276658. PMID: 36269750; PMCID: PMC9586342.