when l fall on ice l get big bruises and my knee was swollen for a week before l could use it properly again. what could l use for my swollen bumps and bruises? it is really nasty cause l need to skate frequently! gels like ben-gay do not work. l tried ice, but it works slow and l have to keep it on for hours!

Try Anica cream. You can get it at most health food stores. It always worked wonders for me includng with pain, swelling, and speed of healing.

You can also try a product called traumeel that is supposed to work well - it is also homeopathic and can be found at health stores or on the internet.

Welcome to the figure skating world..
The bruises, sprains, cuts & nicks r the hidden price to pay for practising our beloved sport.
Ice is the best for the bruises & time of course, it will take an average of three weeks for a good purple bruise on the hip from a missed spin to go away.. It is perfectly normal of not being able to sleep on the side for the first week.
Try arnica water & witch hazel lotion, they can work wonders & they soothe the pain a bit.
A very important thing is to correct ur technique, why did u fall, were u disctracted or maybe u did not prepare the jump/spin. even just straight skating & tripping can result in a nasty fall ( l had a patello-femoral injury which ended my skating)
Now, keep skating, have patience & show em' proudly ur ''war wounds''

Wear bunga gel pads to cushion your falls. It would help make it much less painful.