2.7.1. Experimental and control group 1.
KOA
For their first session, the patients in the experimental group received a 30-minute education in their homes to avoid interruptions at the center. Health education covered the concepts of clinical manifestations, risk factors, nursing care for KOA, benefits of HBE, and cryotherapy. The researchers created a video of each exercise and a booklet for the patients (in the Kurdish and Arabic languages), which were given to the patients to ensure they would perform the exercises correctly. The researcher helped the patients to perform the first HBE intervention as outlined in the booklet, and then the remaining exercises were performed by the patients.The researcher visited the participants’ homes over 8 weeks (weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7) to encourage them to perform the exercises and avoid losing follow-up. Each session included 70 to 75 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of cryotherapy. Two packs of reusable gel ice packs (measuring 48 × 15 × 0.5 cm) were placed on the knee for 20 minutes, covering the anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral surfaces (See supplementary file, The researcher called participants at weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 to discuss their progress and to encourage them to continue to adhere to the exercise and cryotherapy program. The study lasted for 8 weeks, with 3 sessions per week occurring on nonconsecutive days, for 24 sessions. It was confirmed that the patients in the experimental group and control group 1 adhered completely to the exercises, as the first author visited their homes or called them continuously to record the adherence. Regarding the second control group, patients received their normal exercises and physiotherapy sessions as usual.The patients in control group 1 received a similar education and HBE program as the experimental group. However, these patients did not receive cryotherapy. The patients received followed-up attention like those in the experimental group (see supplementary information, 