You can read about Salonpas patches here:
http://www.salonpas.us/

I use the original little ones and have for about a decade now.
they have methyl salicylate in them, and work well.

I've just started with the larger more expensive Arthritis ones,
which come in packs of 5 only and cost about $8 at WalMart.
They are stronger, larger, and have shown in studies to be very effective. They are even approved by the FDA...for inflammation. This is a rare FDA approval for an over the counter remedy.
The new Arthritis ones are brown, larger, and don't stick well if you have any lotions or creams on the skin. So make sure you clean the skin before applying.

If you are not going to do the surgery now, I don't see any reason to not try either or both of these. (unless you have an allergy to methyl salicylate or aspirin).

I will say the adhesive in the Arthritis patch is nicer than the old original ones. I cut them in half for smaller places and keep in a tight Ziploc. The box says to use them up within 14 days, so the active agents must diffuse into the air over time.

Salonpas come in many forms. Some with capsaicin and others with just menthol. I don't use those. Only the ones with methyl salicylate.

This is Salonpas original:
http://www.salonpas.us/product/salonpas-original/
very inexpensive at about $5 for 40 of them.

This is the Arthritis one:
http://www.salonpas.us/product/salon...-relief-patch/
It is stronger, thinner and larger.
My box looks different from this pictured, but the ingredients
are the same. So they may have changed packaging somewhere
along the line.

For the ball of the foot, I'd use the Original first, and put around
the arch under the ball of the foot. I find putting it on the bottom of the foot useless, as the skin is too thick for the medicine to diffuse into
it. I have sesamoid bones that inflame my tendons and that is how I use it...around the joint.