What causes limping?

People often shorten the time spent on a painful leg, creating an antalgic gait. Hip osteoarthritis or knee osteoarthritis can make the first steps, stairs, or longer walks difficult. A hip fracture can cause sudden pain and an inability to use the leg normally. A stress fracture may produce activity-related pain that worsens when weight is placed on the area.

In children, Perthes disease or slipped capital femoral epiphysis can affect the hip and present as a limp, sometimes with pain felt in the thigh or knee. Limb length discrepancy can also change stride and pelvic movement. The painful area is not always the source, so an examination of the back, hip, knee, and foot may be needed.

Reduce weight-bearing activity that increases pain and use support only if a clinician has shown you how to use it safely. Do not push through a new limp during sport or exercise. Record when it began, whether it followed a fall or training change, and where pain is felt. Assessment may include walking observation, joint movement, strength checks, and imaging when an injury or bone problem is suspected.

Seek urgent care after a fall or blow if there is severe hip pain, a visible deformity, or inability to stand or bear weight. Prompt review is also needed for a child who develops a sudden limp, fever with joint pain, or a limp that is worsening. A persistent limp without a clear minor cause should be assessed rather than masked with activity changes.

Ask which joint or tissue is driving the limp, whether you need imaging, how much walking is safe, and whether footwear or physiotherapy may help. Mention fever, night pain, recent illness, injury, new sport, and any change in a child's growth or activity.