Structural Elements® Seeks Multi-Unit Investors to Scale Its Proven, Founder-Led Orthopedic Wellness Franchise

Franchising Since 2016, the Orthopedic Wellness Brand Is Ready to Scale with Qualified Owners

HAGERSTOWN, Md., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After a decade in franchising, Structural Elements® is focused on finding the experienced, multi-unit investors who will carry the orthopedic wellness brand into its next stage of growth. Its dual-FDD model separates the business of owning a clinic from the business of providing care, so owners do not need a clinical background to open a location.

The brand has franchised since 2016, and licensed practitioners have run their own practices inside its clinics under the micro-franchise model since 2019. Its Hagerstown flagship has been open since 2013, and the network includes clinics in Maryland and Wisconsin and 11micro-franchise practice owners.

"With wellness and longevity this hot, a lot of brands are building a commodity to chase the trend," said Douglas Bertram, Founder & CEO of Structural Elements®. "Our model has been refined over more than a decade with real patients and providers. Our mission now is to find owners who share our commitment to patient-focused care."

Two Franchise Offerings, One Brand

Clinic owners run the space and back office, from the front desk and scheduling to billing and marketing. Licensed providers, including physical therapists, acupuncturists, athletic trainers, movement providers, and medical providers, join as micro-franchise practice owners under three-year agreements, each owning a practice inside the clinic. For clinic owners, it is a space-for-service business similar to salon suites; for providers, it is a turnkey, shared-cost practice.

Unit owners earn from several layers: monthly space fees from micro-franchise practice owners, (se)® LAB recovery memberships, retail, and workshops and corporate wellness programs. Because practitioners are invested owners rather than hourly staff, the model is built to address the empty rooms and turnover that challenge many wellness clinics.

"Our clinic owners aren't left to fill their rooms alone," said Susan King Glosby, Vice President of Operations. "We help find and train the providers, because our success depends on those practices growing."

The brand is also multi-modal by design. Bertram calls this "Project Nordstrom": curate what is evidence-based and proven, and leave the fads behind.

Founder-Led, Built in the Treatment Room

Bertram has practiced for more than 30 years in manual therapy, Chinese medicine, and fascia-focused care. A three-time Ironman and 100-mile ultramarathoner, he built the proprietary (se)® method, which every provider in the network trains in, from his clinical practice and his own recovery from a spinal injury.

In July 2026, he published The Extreme Center: Why Balance in Modern Life Must Be Trained, Not Protected, which argues that resilience is built through trained exposure to stress rather than avoidance.

"The longevity conversation is almost entirely metabolic," said Bertram. "Almost nobody is talking about keeping people moving well as they age. That's hands-on work that a screen or robot can't replace."

Built for Experienced Operators

Structural Elements® is seeking multi-brand, multi-unit operators with business and operations experience who value a provider-centered culture; wellness experience is not required. Its suburban clinics of 5,000 to 7,000 square feet pair well with salon suite and urgent care portfolios.

The initial franchise fee is $65,000, or $52,000 for each additional clinic under a multi-unit agreement. The total estimated initial investment is $703,000 to $1.4 million.

Structural Elements® is currently registered to offer franchises in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Florida, with near-term growth targeted in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. The brand aims to reach 125 clinics within five years.

Structural Elements® is now seeking prospective clinic owners, as well as licensed providers interested in owning a practice inside a clinic. For more information about owning a Structural Elements® clinic, please visit https://structuralelements.com/franchise/.

About Structural Elements®

Structural Elements® is an orthopedic wellness franchise built on the idea that the body is a structure, and structures perform better when they are maintained. Founded by clinician and author Douglas Bertram, the brand pairs hands-on manual therapy with a full ecosystem of complementary services under one roof, delivered by credentialed providers who own their own practices inside the clinic. Its micro-franchise model gives practitioners a path to ownership without the cost of opening a standalone location. Structural Elements® is headquartered in Hagerstown, Maryland. For more information, visit https://structuralelements.com/. For franchise information, visit https://structuralelements.com/franchise/.

SOURCE Structural Elements