'Somebody stuck me in a bag of sand': Lived experiences of the altered and uncomfortable body after stroke.

The sample was recruited from stroke support groups, which may mean participants were already more accustomed to discussing their stroke experiences. The study did not achieve its intended diversity, with few older participants, few with severe stroke, and only one participant from a minority ethnic background. Participants with significant cognitive difficulties or aphasia were excluded, so the findings do not represent the experiences of those groups. The concept of 'discomfort' was interpreted by researchers; participants did not always explicitly use this term, describing sensations like pain or frustration instead.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was funded as part of a University of the West of England PhD.

Do not interpret these themes as evidence that specific interventions work. This study describes the patient experience of altered body perception; it does not test whether mirror therapy, virtual reality, or psychological therapies effectively reduce this discomfort, although it suggests these areas need further research.