Bruising is one of the most common injuries you will see among riders. It is also one of the only minor ones that might not send you to the hospital. Although a rider may experience bone and muscle injuries, they are also likely to experience cuts, scrapes, and a lot of bruising. Some falls can cause dark, purple (and a number of other colors) spots to appear on the skin. Bruises are not only sore and painful to the touch but are quite unsightly to look at as well. Getting rid of the soreness and discoloration as fast as possible is usually the goal and there are a few tactics to make this happen. Keep the body part with the bruise elevated and let it rest in a soft and comfortable spot. Apply ice as gently as possible which will help reduce the swelling. You can gently massage the bruised area by rubbing in a circular motion. This will help to increase blood flow to the area, which not only sends certain nutrients through the blood to heal the area but will also help decrease the discoloration of the bruise. If it hurts too much to touch, just settle with elevating the area as much as possible and try to keep yourself in a cool, comfortable place.