Until now, I would have thought I have little in common with Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah. He is much taller than I am and has infinitely more athletic ability.

I have a better haircut.

But when it comes to what is currently sidelining the 6-foot-11 center, I know his pain.

My sons were much younger and I was coaxed into the backyard to play a quick game of football before dinner. Foolishly, I left on a pair of unpadded moccasins.

I didn't realize my foolishness until a morning or two later when I got out of bed and couldn't bear weight on my left heel. After a few minutes, though, I was able to walk it off and thought nothing more of it -- until the next morning when the process started all over.

That is the hallmark of plantar fasciitis, severe early morning pain and stiffness that eventually abates with motion. The plantar fascia is a tough, ligament-like structure that runs from the bottom of the heel to the ball of the foot. Injured, it thickens and tightens.

The structure will hurt when the mechanics of weightbearing cause a sudden stretching effect.

A full night's sleep may be generally beneficial but when it comes to the plantar fascia, the eight hours off one's feet just allows what is tight to get even tighter.

The remedy, 75-85 percent of the time, is simple but cumbersome -- a night splint. I prefer to call it "the boot." And after the first couple of nights, where every time you roll over and the weight of it wakes you up, that is precisely what you want to give the device -- "the boot."

After another night or two, however, one becomes accustomed to it and within two weeks, the morning pain is usually gone. "The boot" works because it holds one's foot with the toes pointed up, a position which stretches the Achilles tendon as well as the plantar fascia.

In my case, the pain was gone in about a week. It returned a year later but another week in the boot seemed to cure it permanently. There hasn't been a recurrence in nearly a decade.

For the 15-25 percent not helped by "the boot," especially those who have had a bone spur form on the heel, alternatives include physical therapy, heel pads, orthotics, and/or cortisone injections.

Expect the Bulls to try them all in an effort to meet the goal they've set of Noah returning after the All-Star break.

John Doherty is a certified athletic trainer and licensed physical therapist. This column reflects solely his opinion.