The orthopedic wellness franchisor is targeting Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia with a model that separates clinic ownership from patient care.
Structural Elements, the orthopedic wellness brand founded by acupuncturist Doug Bertram, is expanding its franchise system into Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. The brand splits ownership from care delivery: a clinic franchisee runs the business side while a separate micro-franchise track licenses the practitioners who treat patients.
Clinic owners handle scheduling, billing, marketing and credentialing, while licensed providers complete a 71-hour training program and run a cash-pay practice inside the clinic, free of insurance reimbursement constraints. The split lets operators without a clinical background invest alongside providers who want to practice without running a business.
Health and wellness now ranks as the third-largest franchised industry in the International Franchise Association's 2026 outlook, and more than half of American adults report a musculoskeletal condition. Structural Elements is betting a hybrid clinic-and-provider model can capture that demand faster than a pure real estate play or a staffing model alone.
Chief Development Officer Patti Rother, who has built franchise systems for other brands, is running the expansion and says she is targeting operators who have already run businesses successfully. The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document also opens the door to candidates in Florida, Texas, Colorado and Georgia beyond the three states named in this round.
Prospective clinic owners take on real estate, staffing and franchise fees without needing a clinical license themselves, while providers considering the micro-franchise track give up employee benefits for the upside of running their own patient panel inside an established brand. Both sides depend on the franchisor's ability to keep recruiting qualified practitioners as the system scales into new states.
Revscale Media (illustration)The senior care franchisor signed 101 new territories in 2025 and 33 more in early 2026, becoming the second-largest brand in non-medical home care.
Revscale Media (illustration)The home services consolidator acquired the 50-year-old electrical contractor as it builds out HVAC, plumbing and electrical coverage across Southern California.
Revscale Media (illustration)The middle-market private equity firm's growth investment in the workforce compliance platform signals continued capital flowing into tech-enabled business services.
Revscale Media (illustration)The Nasdaq-listed dental group agreed to acquire a 12-location Fayetteville practice network in a deal worth up to $46 million.
Revscale Media (illustration)Franchise Equity Partners' Velocity Auto Care reached 50 Valvoline Instant Oil Change centers, with 18 more underway through 2027.
Athletech NewsThe Club Pilates parent cut its outlook and stayed quiet on a possible sale as legal costs and same-store sales declines mount.
