Abstract
This study phenomenologically interprets the meaning of body experiences in stroke survivors through looking into the recovery process of artisan skills, and further encourages a reconsideration of post-stroke rehabilitation programs. Three stroke survivors with more than 30 years of artisan work experience in their specialized fields (sushi, Japanese confectionery and tategu-fittings for doors or windows) underwent a semi-structured interview. This interview was conducted nine times in total at 2 days, 5 days, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months and 1 year after stroke onset. The obtained data were subjected to an interpretive phenomenological analysis for understanding the meaning of body experiences. The analysis extracted thirteen themes, which were then organized into six categories. The study found, among other findings, that the body experiences of stroke survivors over the course of time have three aspects: (1) Their paralyzed bodies come back to life and regain a vivid sense of the surrounding world. (2) They recognize the importance of improving the functions of the entire body, not just the hands which play a central role in their work. (3) Their body experiences are accompanied by relationships with people suffering from the same disease as well as healthy people. These aspects are entangled with each other from the past to the future, deciding the meaning of body experiences. In the rehabilitation of stroke survivors, we should not just see whether or not survivors are able to do something. Rather we should support the diversity of experiences so that the body, a vehicle for recognizing the surrounding world, can manage in the world through various means.
