I have been wondering about this topic for a while now. Why do we use ice to reduce swelling (which is a natural response), to treat injuries? Other than being painful, why is swelling seen as being bad on the body? Yes, ice does speed up the recovery process, but is it necessarily healed a 100%?

Take groin injuries in hockey for example, they happen all the time. The traditional idea is to apply ice, and get them back to action asap. I think this is why you see players have nagging groin injuries that often last a few years. Why not let swelling run its course? And then start with light dynamic stretching to increase the range of motion.

And if anybody can answer this question, I would be very happy:

Where did the Greeks (best athletes in the history of the world) find their ice, when they lived in an age with electricity and refrigeration?