Hello PDSTERLING and welcome to the never ending tutorial that is the guitar!

I have been playing now for 43 years, what I have learned is that as Mr. Schlegel says it could be your instrument or perhaps a too heavy gauge of string. What I have found that worked for me way back in the late 70's when I got into this was grabbing my father's (RIP) NYLON string classical guitar. A decent classical guitar will do two things for you; First, it will help you develop your dexterity because of the wide neck. Second, when you go back to the steel string acoustic or the electric, you will FLY through the fretboard because you will be quicker (everything's closer!). As an added bonus, and this is could be your solution to the pain issue, you will develop the calluses with a lot less pain!

Decent classical guitars are fairly inexpensive, the Stagg C542 from Canada, which I purchased for my wife to learn on was about $100.00US. It has very good tone and it stays in tune pretty good. So please don't be discouraged and stick with it! You won't be disappointed.