Describe the two responses to pain in a limb that present obstacles to effective walking. List some of the common etiologies of antalgic gait. Antalgic gait refers to a posture or gait assumed in order to avoid or lessen pain. The key concept to keep in mind when dealing with antalgic gait is that the patient will try to minimize the amount of weight applied to the painful limb or joint and the amount of time that weight is applied. The result is a limp, a decreased single support time for the affected limb, a shortened stride length for the contralateral limb, and an increased double support time.
Antalgic gait is more difficult to recognize if it is bilateral or central.
In such cases apprehension of movement may be the only sign visible to the physician. Rapid movement of a pathologic joint increases tissue tension, and therefore, pain. Deformity results from the natural resting postures of a swollen joint. The natural resting posture of a swollen joint is the position of minimal intra-articular pressure, where the capsule and ligaments are loosest. Thus, movement in either direction will cause an increase in intra-articular pressure and an increase in the tension of the capsule and ligaments.