Cooler air cannot hold as much moisture so it is released, falling as rain. These mountain barriers create a rain shadow effect that protects the San Juan Islands from the 150 inches of rain that falls annually on the mountainsâ western slopes.
About 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, defined as pain that lasts longer than six months. Chronic pain can be mild or excruciating, episodic or continuous, merely inconvenient or totally incapacitating. With chronic pain, signals of pain remain active in the nervous system for months or even years.
1 When pain is intense and lasts for more than 3 months it is referred to as severe chronic pain 1. 2  Severe chronic pain can be the result of a number of causes, such as an underlying disease or medical condition, an injury, a medical treatment (such as surgery), inflammation, or an unknown cause 2. When pain is intense and lasts for more than 3 months it is referred to as severe chronic pain 1. 2  Severe chronic pain can be the result of a number of causes, such as an underlying disease or medical condition, an injury, a medical treatment (such as surgery), inflammation, or an unknown cause 2.