"sensitive nerve" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You could use it to describe someone who is easily hurt emotionally, especially in a figurative sense. For example, you could say, "He is easily offended and has a very sensitive nerve."
Sure these little munchkins are going to strike a sensitive nerve but consider the source and remember they haven't had sensitivity training yet.
"You're touching a sensitive nerve," Dr. Greenewalt said.
He's got a very sensitive nerve about it.
It touches a very sensitive nerve in Israeli society".
Foreign adoptions have long touched a sensitive nerve here.
In this way, the "Sopranos" finale prodded a deep and sensitive nerve.
Not much is known about these acid sensitive nerves; however, it appears that two types of receptors, vanilloid and anion-sensing ion channel (ASIC) receptors may be present on the acid-sensitive nerve endings that are important in transducing acid-induced sensation.
Acid-sensitive nerve endings, located in the mucosa and lamina propria, carry the sensation of heartburn and chest pain to the CNS.
Coming from a prime minister who relies heavily on the hard right, "post-fascist" National Alliance, Mr Berlusconi's comments touched a hyper-sensitive nerve in a country whose postwar democracy was founded on an anti-fascist consensus.
Loss of light-sensitive nerve cells, known as photoreceptors, is a major cause of blindness in conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and diabetes-related blindness.
"Probably what happens," says Szallasi, "is that you are exposed to high doses of chilli, and then your capsaicin-sensitive nerve endings in your nose and tongue send signals to the cell bodies, which then turn off the synthesis of this receptor.
