can a muscel strain hurt when you touch it?

Could be. One way to find out, especially for the back muscles is to:
1)Lie on the floor or sit on a low stool.
2) Put a tennis ball or foam ball between your back and the floor / wall.
- the ball goes just to one side of the back bone.
3) Press the ball into the muscles and if they are strain, you WILL feel it.

You can also feel a muscle strain when you try to stretch that muscle. Actually this is a GOOD thing to do. If you do not stretch out the muscle, it will get short, tight, never heal right, and be more likely to get strained again in the future.