What is wrong with my back? i bent over to pick up a few bags of trash yesterday, (they weren't even heavy), and i felt a pain in my lower back. for a while, i couldn't even sit down or lean forward to do anything. i'm able to sit now, but pain is severe

Hello. : Hello. I am answering your question six days after you wrote in. I hope that you are feeling a whole lot better by now. Sometimes when we bend or twist, our brain can send signals to our muscles that set us up for an injury. Often when a muscle contracts, another one is relaxed and they can work in concert together. However, some times brain signals cause both sets of muscle to contract at once so that there can be friction and tearing of the muscle fibers. This in turn can lead to spasm and pain. There is not a good way to predict how long it will take to heal. Hopefully, in a couple days to a week for you. However, sometimes the pattern of spasm can become chronic. Consider use of warm heat, non-steroidal antiinflammatory medication (like motrin) and doctors can also prescribed muscle relaxants. Take care.