As Jennifer Brady climbs into inflatable pants that cover from her toes to her chest, she positions her water bottle on the table beside her and starts pushing buttons on a machine.

The device, called a Lympha Press, is designed to move the fluid in her legs. She spends at least five hours a day tied to the machine, unable to do anything else — including caring for her two children, ages nine and 13. She also wears compression garments 24 hours a day.

This, combined with the fact she has been fig…