The straight handlebar on my road bike was driving me crazy because of the lack of hand position options. My hands were going numb, my forearms were screamin' at me, and my shoulders ached like crazy.........During a terrific fitting session this past weekend, my straight bar was changed out for a riser bar AND very long bar ends. The difference in comfort is amazing! The riser bar looks a little dorky, I'll cheerfully admit, but the fitter's philosophy is to get me comfortable on the bike first, let me build up my strength, and then move me to a lower, more traditional handlebar when I've got the core and arm strength to feel at ease. Works for me!

After changing out the handlebar, we added long Boxer bar ends to give me loads of space for moving my hands around. The shorter Brief version would have worked well, too, I think.......Check out this link for some of the bar ends that might work for you, if you decide to explore that option. The two I just mentioned are on this page, along with several other possibilities:

http://pasadenacyclery.com/itemlist.cfm?category=176

Good luck!