text: is this numbing tingling in left arm arthritis or stroke? all day and night i have this numbing and tingling thru my left arm, for over a month now. it started from a stiff neck went to my shoulder and now my whole arm to the tips of my fingers. no matter what im doing, the only way it goes away is when i lift it over my head.could this be from a heart attack or stroke, that im not aware of, or is this what they call arthritis? the stiffness in the neck indicated you have a problem that has increased to allow an inflammation process to involve the nerves of the brachial plexus..(the nerves to the arm). you will find there is still restriction of motion of the head to one side. when a nerve has pressure on it for any extended period of time, it acts as an anesthetic.. explaining the numbness. the tingling telling you a nerve is under a state of irritation. is similar to what the aftermath is after you hit your crazy bone.  perhaps you should consider highly, the consultation with a doctor of chiropractic.. and have the cause of the problem taken care of.