Everybody so far has given you good advice, so hopefully I can throw in my two cents here and hopefully help ya out some. A couple of previous posts made have hit upon a few things which I think you should definately pay particular attention to. One is the action (the distance between the strings and your fretboard) of your guitar. If this distance is to great, it will make it more uncomfortable for you to play your instrument. Make sure your guitar is in tune to standard pitch if possible also, because if by some chance your guitar is tuned to high, the increased tension of the strings will work against you also. The tuning can be corrected easily by a tuner, but setting the action can be more tricky if you are not used to doing it. I would suggest having someone who is familiar with this procedure do it for you, as it could involve adjusting the truss-rod and bridge of your instrument. Once these issues are corrected, your instrument should play easier, resulting in you having to place less pressure against the strings, therefore.....less pain. Second, I agree with the idea of starting out with power chords such as fifth-type chords. If you have any books, videos, etc., on guitar playing, then research these types of chords. Basically, they are just stripped-down, simplified chords. They are much easier to play than full chords and will be less stressful and painful on your hands. Once you have learned one power chord "shape", you've most likely actually learned twenty or more, because you simply move the "shape" up and down the neck for different chords. When you feel ready, you can learn the more advanced versions of the chords, and by then your hands should have become stronger.......resulting in less or no hand pain. One additional note about playing chords......, in my opinion you should keep your thumb on the back of the neck while playing, creating a type of "vice" effect with your hand. Don't wrap your thumb flat against the back of the neck. As I said, this is my opinion. Third, and most important of all!!! If you REALLY want to play guitar and become a decent player at it, you will find that there are no "magic formulas" that take the place of Determined Practice! You have to train your mind and hands to play guitar. Remember, they have never done this before, so it seems impossible at first because.....it is! But just like learning to walk, write, talk, read, etc., etc........., if you want to do it bad enough, and tell yourself "I will learn to do this!" Before you know it you'll be playing guitar, and the pain of learning will be a distant memory. Take it easy at first to avoid injury and..........keep practicing!
Good luck to ya. :cool: