Stroke recovery: review of the literature and suggestions for future research.

Stroke kills more than 175,000 individuals annually and ranks second as a cause of long-term physical disability among Americans. Yet little is known about the experience of recovery in stroke survivors, particularly on a longitudinal basis. Regardless of the distressing impact of stroke on the individual, there is a paucity of literature on the stress of the stroke experience. Critique of recent research in stroke recovery is presented as well as the impact of stroke on the individual. Clinical ethnography as an alternative method of studying stroke recovery is described.