From the sharp sensation of a pinprick to the soft feeling of a cat’s fur, our sense of Touch is the first sense we develop while in the womb, and it remains important throughout our lives. So how does it work? In short, the skin is your body’s largest organ and contains more than 4 million sensory receptors. When we come into contact with something, these touch receptors send signals that travel along sensory nerves and connect to neurons in the spinal cord.

The human body has more receptors for pain than for any other sensation – and with good reason. Pain is the body’s warning system and has a vital role to play in keeping us safe from harm.