The use of cold for pain relief and as an anti-inflammatory has been known since the time of Hippocrates (460–377 BC). Since then there have been numerous accounts of ice used for pain relief including from the Ancient Egyptians and Avicenna of Persia (AD 982–1070).
The use of cold for pain relief and inflammation reduction is a long-standing practice that dates back to ancient times. Hippocrates, a Greek physician, first recognized its benefits around 460-377 BC.  Since then, numerous accounts from the Ancient Egyptians and Avicenna of Persia (AD 982–1070) have described ice's use for pain relief.