We launch the TikTok challenge ‘Arthur Tut’ to change the face of young arthritis  

We launch the TikTok challenge ‘Arthur Tut’ to change the face of young arthritis  

We’re delighted to celebrate the launch of our new TikTok challenge the ‘Arthur Tut’. It is a new physio dance challenge designed to help younger people engage with their arthritis and break down stigma around the condition.  

For far too long, we’ve heard arthritis dismissed as an older person’s condition, ‘something that only Grandad has’, despite around 10,000 people under the age of 16 living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in the UK.  

Lynne Woolley, Head of Young People and Families Services at Arthritis UK, says: 

“Too many children, young people and younger adults battle to get a diagnosis and the support they need as society thinks they’re ‘too young’ for arthritis. Many are left waiting in pain and feeling alone, which is where we step in to offer them the care, support and community they need to better manage their condition.” 

What is the Arthur Tut? 

Thanks to a partnership with Digitas and TikTok, we were able to bring the dynamic dance challenge to life with help from Britain’s Got Talent’s street dancer, Kieran Lai, alongside physiotherapist, Sophie Kyprianou.   

Taking inspiration from current trends, the pair were able to choreograph a dance that’s both joint-friendly and fun to practice. The Arthur Tut combines physio hand movements with the TikTok viral trend of finger tutting, also known as hand dancing.  

Physiotherapist Sophie Kyprianou says: 

"Managing mobility and pain in young people takes a very different approach to working with elderly patients, yet often everyone with arthritis is treated similarly. It was important for Kieran and me to work on fun, joint-friendly movements for this challenge. The dance is a creative interpretation of evidence-based, functional physiotherapy exercises, so people with joint pain can take part and adapt the movements.” 

Why did we make the campaign? 

We want to put an end to the misconceptions about arthritis, not just for 10,000 children and young people aged under 16, but for all young adults who have often been made to feel invisible.  

When people feel misunderstood, they feel like they can’t ask for help, that they’re not being listened to and it leaves them searching for the recognition and treatment they deserve.  

Our partnership with the agency Digitas was rooted in busting the stigma and taboos of the often-debilitating disease.  

Deborah Alsina, Arthritis UK’s Chief Executive, says: 

“While we support thousands of adults, young people and children every year, we know there’s much more we need to do to make sure young people living with arthritis feel seen, supported and heard so they can live well now, while we work to find a cure in the future. That’s why this partnership with Digitas and TikTok is crucial in breaking down barriers and perceptions, while also putting our trusted health information straight into the hands of those who need it most.” 

Who is Arthur? 

If you have been wondering who Arthur is, you might be surprised to find out he isn’t a real person.  

People living with long-term conditions have taken to personifying their condition, giving it a name, helping them feel a level of control over the disease. For arthritis, many people refer to it as ‘Arthur’.  

In the TikTok, you can see Arthritis UK young ambassador Lucy Crane performing the Arthur Tut to The Hoosier’s song ‘Goodbye Mr A’. The fun upbeat track has a hidden secret meaning, although Lucy cannot say goodbye to her arthritis, she can say goodbye to the stigma surrounding it by naming it and challenging it.  

The budding influencer, who was diagnosed as a teenager, advocates for her followers to always ask for help when they need it, she says:  

Try it yourself  

The Arthur Tut is a challenge for everybody, for people of all ages and abilities, we want to see you recreating this dance to help shine a light on the devastating condition.  

At Arthritis UK, we share stories of those living with arthritis, bust the myths that surround the condition and make health information as accessible as possible.  

Deborah Alsina, Arthritis UK Chief Executive, says: 

“There is so much misinformation out there about arthritis and this can be a blocker to people being able to access early diagnosis and treatment that can be lifechanging. We are delighted to launch this important campaign and thank Digitas and TikTok for their support in helping our progress towards a future free from arthritis.”