Some master jelqers have actually learned to form a tight “O” overhand grip at the base and progressively increase the O size as they approach the glans, thus decreasing the pressure slightly at the end of a 4 or 5 second stroke. The exercise that produces the least pressure on the glans while egorging the corpus the most, of course, is the “Horse 440s” exercise, whereby, you are forcing blood out of the glans thus topping off the pressure in the corpus even more. Great girth exercise but great discolorizer especially if you are un-cut.
I have found that it is the stretches whereby pulling hard close to the glans that has produced the most loss of sensitivity, and I have noticed that if I discontinue the stretches while maintaining jelquing, sensitivity returns in a week or so. It is true that there is a large proliferation of nerves in the corona and glans and it is better to stay clear of them.