It doesn’t.
As we grow the length of some nerves become too long to transmit fast enough. On longer nerves, a fatty substance called myelin wraps your nerves to act as a signal booster. This increases the speed at which your nerves transmit a signal, but not the intensity of a signal being transmitted.
In a healthier toddler 2+, this process is complete. The intensity of pain is representative of how many nerves are involved, not distance from your brain.
Does a toothpick under your toenail hurt less than one under your fingernail?
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