I have a medical problem that makes it difficult for me to sit in the conventional position with the legs down and the foot touching the floor. I can however, sit in a cross-legged position(similar to as in lotus pose) . I have a back problem (muscle ache at the end of the day) due to hours of sitting as a programmer the past 20 years of my career so I am wondering if sitting in lotus posture going to exacerbate the problem.
That would depend on the back problem in question - it’s an incredibly general term.
The larger question is whether you currently have a yoga practice. If so then please ask your teacher to show you how to properly rig a yoga belt for sacral support in the crossed leg seated position (sukhasana).
If not, then I’m puzzled why the question would be posed here, though I’m sure there’s a very rational answer, especially from a code warrior.
Lotus pose will not resolve your issue because you must be having either of the two or both issues below for sure.
- Postural deformation of backbone
- Bulging of disc in lumbar region (L5-S1) if pain is low back.
If this is yes then you need to go for yoga therapy. I have fixed my own slipped disc issues and have helped other overcome it. Normally it will take you around 4-6 months to come out of pain. Sooner you start better it is because as you age this period will increase and chances of recover will decrease.
My all students/patient with such issues are from IT sector. This going to be epidemic soon.