Structural Elements®, an orthopedic wellness franchise founded by licensed acupuncturist Doug Bertram, has announced a strategic expansion into Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Structural Elements® operates on a distinctive two-tiered system that separates the business of clinic ownership from the delivery of care. In other words, the business model offers a clinic franchise for experienced operators and a separate micro-franchise for licensed providers such as physical therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists. In this arrangement, the clinic owner manages the business infrastructure—including scheduling, billing, and marketing—while providers lease space and operate their own cash-based practices within the clinic. Each provider undergoes the company’s comprehensive 71-hour Practitioner Training Program to master the proprietary Structural Elements® method, a fascia-focused approach that seeks to address the root causes of pain and dysfunction.
Currently operating locations in Maryland and Wisconsin, the brand is actively recruiting qualified multi-unit and single-unit operators for its expansion into key markets like Florida, Texas, Colorado, and Georgia.
Image Credit: Structural Elements®
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Two-tier Wellness Franchising
- Separated ownership and provider models create scalable healthcare concepts that reduce operational friction while expanding access to specialized care.
- Cash-based Specialty Care
- Out-of-pocket orthopedic and pain-management services reveal demand for simplified, insurance-light healthcare experiences with clearer pricing and provider autonomy.
- Proprietary Practitioner Training
- Standardized clinical education programs help wellness brands differentiate outcomes, maintain consistency, and scale niche treatment methods across new markets.
Sectors Adopting This
- Orthopedic Wellness
- Fascia-focused pain and mobility services signal opportunities for non-surgical care models that blend rehabilitation, prevention, and long-term body maintenance.
- Healthcare Franchising
- Franchise-based clinic networks are reshaping local healthcare delivery by pairing centralized business systems with decentralized licensed practitioners.
- Physical Therapy
- Provider-led micro-practices within shared clinic environments suggest new pathways for therapists to operate independently without carrying full facility overhead.
