The wider is better bar theory came from pro racing and some study(recently disproven) that you would get better oxygen intake if you were not keeping your shoulders inboard so much. My 1983 Centurion 50cm frame came with 38 width bars!
Can you get pain from the "wrong" width bars? I would say it is possible. Trip to a good LBS to talk about this issue might be in order. What else are you going to do, it is 15f with the wind chill.