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?
Jennifer
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."
-Aristotle