Abdulellah Alkhunfur: Pusher Syndrome or Why Some Stroke Patients Lean Toward the Affected Side
Abdulellah Alkhunfur, Physiotherapist at Dallah Hospital, shared on LinkedIn:
”It’s not stubbornness… it’s a cognitive disorder!
One stroke patient was pushing himself forcefully toward the affected side, and whenever we tried to adjust his sitting position, he resisted fiercely.
He was completely convinced that he was sitting upright… while he was clearly leaning and at risk of falling.
This condition is called post-stroke Pusher Syndrome.
It is a disorder that appears after a stroke, in which the patient loses the ability to perceive the position of their body in relation to gravity, leaning toward the weak side and using the healthy limb to push toward it.
Important note:
- The problem is not just muscle weakness, but also a disorder in proprioception, or spatial sensory perception.
- The good news is that this condition can be treated with physical therapy, especially with intensive rehabilitation.
In rehabilitation, we focus on:
- Retraining visual perception using mirrors and vertical lines.
- Gradual and safe balance exercises.
- Educating the family that the behavior is involuntary.
Awareness of this syndrome reduces the risk of falling and speeds up the recovery process.”

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