Objective To investigate the application of empowerment theory combined with graphic type health education in cerebral infarction patients. Methods A total of 100 cerebral infarction patients who admitted our hospital from April 2010 to June 2013, were treated as the objects of study and were averagely divided into experimental group and control group according to the random number table method. The patients of control group were treated with graphic style health education mode, while the patients in the experimental group were used empowerment theory combined with graphic type health education nursing. We compared two groups of patients′ empowerment ability, self-care ability, degree of neurological deficit, daily life ability, health knowledge awareness and the recrudescence rate of cerebral infarction in six months. Results In the experimental group, the empowerment ability, self-care ability, health knowledge awareness and daily life ability were higher than those of the control group (t=2. 268, 2. 369, 2. 245, 2. 164;P<0. 05);but the control group was higher than experimental group in neurology deficit and cerebral infarction recrudescence in 6 months ( t=2. 137,P<0. 05; χ2 =5. 383,P <0. 05). Conclusions Empowerment theory combined with graphic style health education can improve self-care ability of patients with cerebral infarction, empowerment ability, daily life ability and health knowledge awareness, and reduce neurological deficits and recrudescence rate in short term.