My hands used to kill me. And go numb. To the point that I have permanant (I'm guessing?) numbness in my pointer fingers.

My bike was TOO BIG.

Also, my core was weak, so all the upper body weight fell straight to my hands, rather than my abs and back muscles supporting me.

Also, in desperation I switched to Giro Xero gloves that have no padding.

The combination of a smaller bike, core strength, and less padding has just about eliminated my hand pain.

I also have to remember to move my hands around a lot, and sometimes ride with one hand while I shake out the other and restore bloodflow.