It seems to be reducing for me now, I am getting it less often.

The nightshade family of veggies makes it much worse...potatoes and sometimes some tomato sauces.

When my burning is bad, it will go up my shins.
I don't have potatoes anymore at night, as they also seem to
trigger me.

I eliminated all sugar/fructose this summer and have been much much better also. Fructose especially I am intolerant of and probably all my life as well. (I could never drink apple juice for example without much GI distress).

Just cut one patch in half and try one foot if you don't want to waste them. I used to get 90 for a $35 copay (it is going up to $65 in Jan) so I had plenty to experiment with.
One has to understand the anatomy to picture it.
I don't think the pain is generated at the endpoints. I think the nerve CELLS are misfiring and stopping the train, is more effective when they group into a bundle and leave the skin.

Also when using Lidoderms, you often don't need a whole one.
I can't recall when I have used a whole one! When placed well 1/2 does the same job!

When I use the Salonpas for the ball of my foot, (I have broken sesamoid bones there that get inflamed), I wrap the Salonpas around the arch and don't put it on the ball itself (since the skin is so thick there). Around the arch, the skin is thinner. There are new Salonpas out there now, I just found them in my email. I have a short thread about them on Medications right now. The FDA has approved a new version which is much stronger (almost double). I bet they are nice.
So if your ball of the foot pain is more arthritic or tendonitis, then Salonpas OTC may work better, than Lidoderm.