How Fast Is Pain Signal (nerve)?

Pain signals travel along myelinated nerve fibres at up to 30 m/s — but slower than touch signals at 70 m/s. This delay is why pain seems to lag impact: you see the cut, then feel it a fraction of a second later.

Pain has two distinct flavours — sharp 'first pain' carried by myelinated A-delta fibres at 30 m/s, and dull 'second pain' carried by C-fibres at just 1 m/s.

• Slower than touch signals (70 m/s)
• Pain lags touch by a fraction of a second