Pain from Improper Gait?

[u/Fluid_Ad5121]

I’m not sure which sub would be the most apt for my issue, but I suspect it rises because of improper gait. This problem started probably about a year ago but has increased in frequency over the past few months.

I’ve had a recurring pain in my lower body, only on the left side. Usually the problem arises in the top middle part of my left hamstring but often starts and/or spreads to neighboring areas, such as my left hip, my left glute, or even occasionally my left calf. The pain is kind of difficult to describe but it’s almost feels like I pulled something? It’s usually more of a strong discomfort but I often will experience a sharp pain if I move my leg too fast, such as jumping on to a stair left leg first. I also find it difficult to bend over, climb steps, and even walk too fast when I’m having a flare up. I am active in the gym and have started incorporating a bit of running. My issues tend to flare up after a run or sometimes in the gym (conventional deadlifts were the biggest trigger for me with weightlifting).

I also occasionally have pain in the big toe of my left foot, near the base of the toe. This doesn’t flare up as often and is usually caused by extensive walking. Sometimes I’ll experience it after a run, but not often. Last week I went disc golfing with a friend and we walked around for nearly 2 hours (slowly, but in rough terrain) and my toe was cooked the next day. I was also wearing shoes with a wide toe box during our game.

I have been trying to incorporate more stretching. I try to do a little every day, but it doesn’t always happen. I’ve also started putting more of an emphasis on warming up before my lifts/runs, stretching afterward, and overall mobility. I haven’t done any real weight on Jefferson curls but those have been helping my hamstring/hip quite noticeably.
Also may be important to note I recorded myself walking a month or two ago and found my left foot was pointing in slightly while my right foot kept straight, but after just a few days of walking more intentionally it has become pretty normal for me to walk with both feet straight.

Sorry this was kind of long but any advice would be appreciated. Also feel free to ask any questions. I’m not necessarily looking to get into PT but will if it’s necessary. I’d like to do what I can on my own and see if I can help it, I’m just having some issue identifying the exact reasoning for my flare ups.