Pat,
I do not know if I can help or not. I am not a seasoned rider, yet. I do however have a hybrid. My problem was not with the handle bars, but if you have small hands I would understand why it might hurt. You can always switch out handlebars. Go to your lbs and try a few to see if the discomfort is eleviated.
The only other thing I can think of is that you may be gripping them too tightly?