I fell on my elbow and scratched it badly. it's very painful and a little swollen. is ice the best treatment? if not what?

Apply ice packs for: 1st 2 days then warm packs, take otc Motrin or aleve (naproxen) for pain, clean scratch with peroxide then apply neosporin , apply ace wrap to minimize swelling. Consider seeing your dr for an x-ray if there's decrease range of motion or increase in pain and redness, presence of fever or pus etc. Hope u feel better soon!

Clean it: Make sure that the wound is clean. An infection could make things a lot worse. If there is significant pain in the joint or in the bone then this may need to be looked at by a professional.