Kind of interested in the timeless debate of icing.  What are some opinions on it.  I've searched it before on the net and there is a little bit of info here and there but nothing rock solid about the science of it.  I've come to understand that this site resembles more of a biophysics text book than that of old school "it's just the way it is."  I tend to prefer the former as it's difficult to argue with.  

So what is the science behind icing?  From what I can gather after you throw there's serious amounts of warm blood flow pulsing through the vessels surrounding the major groups we use to throw and consequently this will result in some swelling when we head into recovery mode.  Should it be understood that if we were not to ice than the muscle groups will become catalytic?  So we could see icing as a way to stop that catalytic effect by constricting the blood flow of the vessels surrounding the muscle?

Thus, if we don't ice there would be a higher rate of the torn or worked muscle group healing as the flow of nutrients coming from the blood vessel wont be constricted and so will promote the healing of the muscle.  In that case if we were to ice, the flow of nutrients going to the worked muscle would slow and not heal as quickkly.

So it's almost a negative feedback effect where you have to choose if you want to avoid swelling and pain by icing but if you ice you'll slow the healing process!?

So what are people's personal preference?  

I tend not to ice my shoulder but do ice my elbow.  Based upon nothing but routine and personal preference and totally upon the comfort it provides my arm post outing.