So it is my second day of self-educating with acoustic guitar. I know the basic chords and came really close to playing "A horse with no name" without screwing the chords, what made me very motivated to play more. So I am like "Fuck yeah!", but my fingers are like "Fuck no!". Want to play so bad, but pain is so big that I can't focus on playing. I know that there is not much other to do than overcoming pain and playing regularly, but I just had to share this with someone, as everyone here seem to not emphathise with begginer guitarist problems...
Playing classical guitars are easier on your fingers, so are electric guitars. But if you practice two hours a day for a couple weeks your fingers won't hurt any more. Plus you'll be able to play chords without looking where you're putting your fingers.
Mine did too starting out. Now I've got these little tough cushion things on my fingers, so it doesn't anymore. It went from hurting to feeling numb for a time, but now it's just completely normal. I guess it will once you've been playing long enough. And don't worry about the arthritis. Unless you're in the process of... gracefully aging.