See Phase 1 wins, Phase 2 upgrades, and the latest video spots on page 6
Find complete results and top performers on page 8 Refreshed Microsites Built for How Search Works In 2026
Step Into Wellness Sale Effective in Re-Engaging Lapsed Patients
Turn to page 10 to explore what’s new in our smarter, more local templates
and CEO, Sanjiv Razdan
Dear Franchisees and The Joint Community,
In our Monthly Pulse call a few weeks ago, I shared two priority areas of focus: finalizing our transition to a pure play franchisor to more effectively support our franchisees and their teams and increasing our active members.
I am pleased to share that our refranchising efforts remain on track There are just over 50 clinics remaining in The Joint Corp.’s portfolio, and we are well on our way to transitioning those into the hands of some really great operators.
With that work progressing as planned, we are also directing our energy to active member growth which fuels higher unit-level volume, stronger clinic economics and greater profitability. We have launched, and are preparing to begin, several programs designed to reengage lapsed patients and provide our Wellness Plan and Package patients with the flexibility and affordability they need to continue receiving care at The Joint.
• Align One is now a permanent offering. On April 1, we will begin a direct marketing campaign to share this plan option with a targeted group of patients to help them return to chiropractic care. Please find more details on page 14
• CareCredit is a dedicated health and wellness credit card that provides patients with deferred interest-free financing options on some of our services. We believe that this program can help patients have greater access to care at The Joint and allow them to more easily commit to full treatment plans. The enrollment process has begun in anticipation of a May 11 launch in opted-in clinics.
• All clinics may now offer the “Buy 5 Months, Get 1 Free” offer as a year-round, always-on option to patients. Franchisee feedback indicates that this offer is a simple way to secure patient commitment up front. Successful implementation of these initiatives requires partnership, and we continue to put energy toward making sure your voices shape our path forward. We have our NFAB Subcommittees across several departments, as well as our AXIS User Group, and we have recently developed a DC User Group that is directly informing improvements to our back-of-house systems and providing insightful feedback around our innovation efforts.
I am very excited to welcome many of you to our Align 2026 national conference event in less than three weeks. The content reflects our commitment to helping you strengthen clinic performance and will be a time to learn, connect, recharge, and continue shaping our collective future.
Together we serve,
Sanjiv Razdan
DR. CLINT MORROW, D.C. & PHILIP SMITH (Springfield, MO)
BILL HURLEY & KATELYN JOHNSON (Lancaster, PA)
TOTAL CLINICS OPEN: 945
FRANCHISED UNITS: 870
Introducing the newest class of inductees into the GO Elite family:
Ernie, Leonard and Erique Arellano
The Joint Chiropractic – Parrish (FL)
• $81,381 in sales and 420 New Patients in the first 60 days
Toby Hines and John Wash
The Joint Chiropractic – Poinciana (FL)
• $51,890 in sales and 466 New Patients in the first 60 days
Congratulations to franchisees Ernie, Leonard and Erique Arellano and the clinic team at The Joint Chiropractic – Parrish (FL) on setting a system record for highest sales generated during a New Clinic launch. The clinic achieved $81,381 in sales in its first 60 days!
“Our objective was to drive hyper-local awareness, generate pre-opening leads, and create momentum heading into ribbon cutting weekend,” said franchisee Ernie Arellano. “First, I created an in-depth marketing playbook complete with a timeline leading up to opening. It included demographics surrounding the clinic, local competition, and key businesses and community events we wanted to be a part of. We generated an event calendar of all the big events leading up to and during the opening, then attended as many as possible.”
Here are some of other best practices that lead to their success:
• Attended high-traffic community events, including pop-ups at local retail centers, multiple “Trunk or Treat” events, health and wellness fairs and community markets. Prospects could scan a QR code for free adjustment certificates or opt in via SMS.
• Conducted direct-to-business outreach, focusing on businesses whose employees typically convert at
high percentages such as hair and nail salons, dental offices, nurses, mechanics, landscapers, retail, construction, and delivery drivers.
• Partnered with similar business (massage therapists, physical therapists, IV providers and personal trainers) to distribute bounce-back offers
• Targeted flyer drops in surrounding neighborhoods and apartment complexes with QR codes for pre-opening offers.
• In-person networking with Chamber of Commerce and local business leaders prior to ribbon cutting, inviting them and their employees to attend and receive a complimentary adjustment.
• Leveraged the co-op’s partnership with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a mascot appearance for social engagement and organic amplification with fans and team supporters.
The combination of traditional LSM, face-to-face community engagement, and simple guerrilla tactics created meaningful local buzz and resulted in consistent opening weekend traffic, an 85% New Patient conversion on the free first adjustment offer, a robust new lead database and high engagement on social media.
Last year, The Joint launched a new creative campaign centered on pain as a universal trigger. With 82% of new patients visiting our clinics due to pain, Life, Unpaused positioned The Joint as the first choice for pain relief and reinforced how chiropractic care helps people get back to what matters most in their daily lives.
The video spots ran in high-impact placements, including Connected TV, and we used an AI scoring model to analyze attention, engagement, and memorability based on learned patterns. Life, Unpaused delivered strong results across several key performance indicators:
• Both spots exceeded industry benchmarks for memorability (67 and 71 vs. 62 benchmark) with in-clinic scenes driving the strongest long-term recall.
• Both spots exceeded the industry benchmark for attention (62 and 75 vs. 51 benchmark), proving the story held viewers through to the payoff.
• Versions built for Connected TV with branded wrappers delivered an above-average engagement score of 63, reinforcing the campaign’s effectiveness in high-impact viewing environments.
• These insights validated the campaign’s central idea: audiences connect with storytelling that reflects relatable moments of pain interrupting life and remember that The Joint is where they’ll find quality, convenient relief.
As we developed the campaign’s second installment, we used the resonance testing data to refine our approach, strengthen brand recall and showcase The Joint’s convenient care model. The insights guided several changes for Phase 2, including:
• Brand presence appears earlier in the story. Mentions of The Joint Chiropractic and visual brand elements, especially in the CTV branded wrappers, occur earlier in the viewing experience.
• More in-clinic moments were added.
The 30-second video spots feature additional clinic scenes to better highlight the patient experience and reinforce brand recognition.
• Clinic accessibility was emphasized more clearly Viewers see exterior shots of actual locations and experience patients physically arriving and walking into a clinic.
• Reduced on-screen text. Testing showed that excessive text distracted viewers from the story, so the team streamlined visuals to keep focus on the message and emotional payoff.
The second installment of Life, Unpaused introduces two new stories shaped by insights:
• Our strongest engagement comes from adults over 35 years old, and across both “active” and “sedentary” lifestyle segments.
• Research shows that roughly one-third of patients perceive long hours sitting at a desk as their source of pain.
• By aligning our creative narratives to these lifestyle audiences, we can increase emotional connection that drives brand recall and interest.
• Second Shift follows a working mom who powers through long hours at her desk, then stops in at her local clinic to treat her back pain before heading home to dinner and family. The spot reinforces The Joint’s walk-in convenience and evening hours.
• Dropped Cylinder features a hobbyist mechanic who unwinds by working on his vintage car. The spot highlights how affordable, accessible care at The Joint helps ensure pain doesn’t stall the moments people look forward to most.
As Life, Unpaused moves into its next phase, the insights and learnings from the campaign’s early success is helping us tell stronger, more relatable stories. patients that The Joint is the trusted choice for getting life back on track.
Last month, The Joint officially launched a rebuilt blog experience that serves as far more than a design refresh. It’s a strategic overhaul designed to strengthen how we show up in search and support patients across their wellness journey. The new blog creates a clearer, more connected content hub that helps patients find trustworthy information and helps clinics more easily share it.
New Structure and Improved Functionality Goes Beyond Publishing Articles
The rebuild has created a stronger informational center that better positions The Joint as an authority on health and wellness topics beyond chiropractic care. Stronger tagging and internal linking connect articles on similar topics, improves discoverability and supports stronger performance across traditional search, featured snippets, AI Overviews, and other evolving search experiences.
How Should Clinics Use the New Blog?
There are two clear opportunities in which clinics can leverage the new blog.
1. Share Articles with Patients to Add Value Beyond the Appointment
The rebuilt blog makes it much easier to find and share articles that support patient conversations. If a patient has questions about posture, headaches, sciatica, recovery, or movement habits, your team can quickly search for a relevant article and share it with the patient during the visit or by SMS afterward.
This type of exchange adds meaningful value to the patient experience by reinforcing what was discussed with them in the clinic. It gives patients trusted education they can revisit later and helps extend care beyond the adjustment.
2. Turn Blog Content into Social Content
One of the best ways to use the rebuilt blog is as a content engine for your clinic’s social media. Articles can become short videos, carousels, reels, stories, captions, and talking points that help you stay active with educational, relevant content.
This makes content creation easier and stronger. Instead of starting from scratch, your team can build from topics already aligned with The Joint’s brand, care model, and treatment approach. One article can inspire multiple social posts and help your clinic show up as a trusted local resource.
The rebuilt blog was built to work harder. When clinics use it intentionally, it becomes more than content. It becomes a practical tool for education, engagement, and stronger patient connection.
Last month, the Step Into Wellness Sale invited some patient groups to receive the first month of their Wellness Plan for just $45. Over 13,000 promotional plans were sold during the event.
Congratulations to these top performers who stood out in their execution of the 2026 Step Into Wellness Sale:
• Franchisees Korey Adkins and Angela Phillips and the team at The Joint Chiropractic - Kenmore Buffalo (NY) were the top-selling clinic with 94 plans sold!
• David and Anne Glover were the top-selling RD group with 2,873 plans sold within their territory.
• Brittany Olenick’s FBC territory sold 1,315 plans, with Lindsay Salcido’s region close behind at 1,300.
Even though the system sold fewer plans than during the 2025 promotion, sales were still 23% higher than in 2024. It’s also important to note that Existing Patient Wellness Plan sales were lower than normal in the two weeks leading up to the promotion. As a result, plan sales during the 2026 Step Into Wellness Sale were actually 64% higher than the immediate pre-promotion period.
We estimated the incremental revenue impact by looking at actual sales volumes and our typical defection patterns during promotions.
• Using 2024 as the baseline, the promotion is expected to generate approximately $611,000 in incremental revenue systemwide over 12 months.
• If we use the immediate pre-promotion period as the baseline instead, the estimated incremental revenue increases to $3.97 million systemwide over 12 months.
The true impact likely falls between these two estimates, but both scenarios indicate that the Step Into Wellness Sale delivers meaningful long-term revenue.
Not long ago, internet searching was fairly linear. A consumer Googled “The Joint,” clicked your website, read your Microsite, and then either called the clinic or filled out a lead form. Today, that path is far less predictable.
Nearly 60% of
end without a click to a website
Discovery and visibility now influence consumer decisions long before someone ever reaches your Microsite. Website visits are no longer the only signal that matters; it’s about showing up in all the places consumers are making decisions. To achieve this, search engine optimization (SEO) happens in three phases.
1. Discovery: Takes place across traditional search results, AI answers, Google Business Profile, social media, and other digital platforms where consumers are looking for care. We measure this stage through impressions and visibility.
2. Engagement: A consumer interacts with your brand by clicking, reading, exploring, or taking action on one of those platforms.
3. Lead Generation: A consumer visits your Microsite and either completes a lead form or calls your clinic. This new search environment is exactly why we updated The Joint Chiropractic’s Microsite template. To stay competitive, the Microsites needed to become more local, more useful, and better structured for both traditional search and AI-driven discovery.
Here are a few of the ways that we rebuilt the Microsites to meet today’s evolving search behaviors:
• Introduced stronger hyperlocal content, local vernacular, landmark-based directions, and clearer clinic differentiators.
• Redesigned the experience for mobile since 50 percent of Microsite traffic occurs on a mobile device.
• Improved navigation and scannability, strengthened calls to action, and enhanced background technical details so Google and AI tools can find and show your clinic more often.
35% use chat bots instead of a traditional search engine
All clinics migrated between September 1 and December 19, and most Microsites reached search maturity within 6 to 12 weeks. Because search behavior has changed so dramatically, year-over-year parity is no longer always the right benchmark on its own. Instead, we now look at month-over-month performance, then compare those shifts to the same period last year to measure incremental growth.
• In January, organic traffic rose 10% monthover-month versus 2% in the same period last year, alongside a 6.6% increase in organic form submissions.
• In February, impressions jumped 47.7%, traffic held up on a daily basis, and organic form submissions still rose 3.7% (versus a 6.1% decline in the same period last year), even in a shorter 28-day month.
In other words, the sequence is working as expected: visibility first, engagement next, and leads as the lagging outcome.
The Microsites will continue to evolve and improve over time because the way consumers search, compare, and choose care is always changing. Next, we will look to expand hyperlocal FAQs, test different headlines, photos or other visuals in the prominent top section that users see first, and explore additional conversion and visibility enhancements. Ultimately, these modifications are designed to help your clinic stay visible, relevant, and easy to choose.
Selling Kickstart is a collection of six short, video-based trainings designed to build consistency and confidence in how DCs and WCs position care and present the value of our Wellness Plan and Kickstart options.
All modules are required for franchisees, managers, clinic staff, FBCs, Regional Developers and their teams to complete by March 31.
Visit The Learning Center: Catalog > Business, Marketing, Operations > Operations > Front Office > Selling Kickstart
FAST, EFFECTIVE, AND EASY TO APPLY
Activity: Warm Handoff Role-Play
When the doctor walks the patient to the front desk and completes a warm handoff, it builds trust, reinforces patient commitment, and creates alignment between the DC, WC, and patient. The warm handoff sets up the sale, making it easier for the WC to confidently guide the patient through the Wellness Plan and Kickstart options and gain commitment from the patient.
Review Selling Kickstart (02) | Setting Up the Sale in The Learning Center. Then practice the warm handoff between the DC and WC using talking points below as a guide. After each role-play, debrief together to discuss what went well and what improvements can be made.
Connect
The DC:
Walks the patient to the front desk, standing next to them when speaking to the WC
Aligns with the WC, restating the patient’s treatment plan using directive language
Confirm
The DC:
Confirms the patient’s commitment to their treatment plan
Positions the Wellness Plan first, then points to Kickstart based on the patient’s needs
Transfers financial explanations to the WC
Transition to the Sale
The WC:
Confirms alignment
Reinforces the patient’s care plan
Gains commitment to the Wellness Plan first before introducing Kickstart
“Hi [WC], I’m starting Michelle in the Relief stage of care. I need to see her three times in this first week— today, Thursday, and Saturday. After that, she should be on track to move into recovery with two visits a week for four weeks. Then we should be ready to reduce her frequency and move her into the wellness stage of care.”
“She’s committed to returning on Thursday and then again on Saturday. I recommended the Wellness Plan so she can get the care she needs, but I would also love for you to talk to her about saving some additional money with the Kickstart option to help with the extra visits she needs during her first month of care in the relief and recovery stages.”
“The doctor wants to see you two more times this week, then twice a week for four weeks, tapering down to once a week as you move into the wellness stage. Based on this treatment plan, the Wellness Plan is the best way for you to get the care you need. Let me tell you a little more about how the Wellness Plan works...”
April is the perfect time to encourage movement, reset wellness habits, and reconnect with healthy routines. With themes centered around physical activity, stress awareness, and overall wellness, this month offers plenty of opportunities to share content that helps your community move more, feel better, and stay active.
CLICK HERE for April’s Social Media Resource Guide and find themes and key dates that will help you create timely posts that position chiropractic care as part of everyday health and recovery.
@thejointchiroburnsville
This month, we’re highlighting The Joint Chiropractic – Burnsville (MN) for their upbeat and approachable presence on social media. With a mix of relatable humor, patient-focused messaging, and simple wellness tips, the Burnsville team creates content that feels both informative and engaging.
The Burnsville team shines by keeping their content simple and digestible. Many of their videos highlight how chiropractic care supports everyday wellness and not just pain relief, helping followers understand the broader benefits of routine care. By breaking down topics like posture, headaches, and mobility into short, relatable clips, the clinic makes spinal health education feel practical and accessible for anyone.
The lighthearted videos and conversational posts bring strong personality to their feed and showcase the people behind the care. These behind-the-scenes moments help humanize the clinic and make the environment feel friendly and approachable. By blending education, humor, and authentic clinic moments, The Joint – Burnsville demonstrates how social media can build trust while encouraging more people in the community to explore chiropractic care!
The Joint continued its busy event season with a strong presence at the Parker Seminars in Las Vegas, one of the largest professional chiropractic events in the country. This year marked the 75th anniversary of Parker Seminars, and The Joint’s presence emphasized our support for both the university and the chiropractic profession.
All members of the Executive Leadership Team and several senior leaders attended Parker, connecting with doctors, students and other industry professionals. In addition, we had the opportunity to meet with leadership of all of the major chiropractic colleges, the ACA and the ICA.
A special thank you to Dr. Joey Davi, D.C., Dr. Ryan Baack, D.C., Dr. Linda Gianetti, D.C. and Alanna Williams for representing The Joint at the vendor expo and sharing our story and their experiences with attendees. Alanna even had quite the full-circle moment when she began speaking with a doctor and realized it was the first doctor that had ever adjusted her nearly four years ago! It was a powerful moment that truly reflects how The Joint can connect people in unique and memorable ways.
(L-R): Andra Terrell (Senior Vice President, Legal), Beth Gross (Senior Vice President, Human Resources), Debbie Gonzalez (Chief Marketing Officer), Charles Nelles (Chief Technology Officer), Dr. Dustin DebRoy, D.C. (Manager, Education and Relations), Dr. Linda Gianetti, D.C. (Regional Director for Joint Ventures, LLC), Craig Sherwood (Senior Vice President, Development), Marianne Angell (Senior Director, Franchise Operations), Ron Stilwell (Senior Vice President, Operations and Patient Experience), Sanjiv Razdan (President and CEO), Dr. Connie Thiesen, D.C. (Chiropractic Operations Manager), Dr. Steve Knauf, D.C. (Vice President of Chiropractic and Compliance), Caia Taback (Director of Enterprise Accounts), Alanna Williams (Talent Recruiter for Joint Ventures, LLC) and Dr. Nick Broadhead, D.C. (Franchisee).
The Joint Supports FCA’s NW Regional Convention
Earlier this month, Dr. Ed Ernstrom, D.C. represented The Joint at the Florida Chiropractic Association’s (FCA) NW Regional Convention and Expo, interacting with practicing chiropractors, students and individuals interested in exploring franchising with The Joint.
The FCA is one of the strongest chiropractic associations in the world, so The Joint’s presence demonstrates its support for the profession while remaining top of mind for students and chiropractors who are exploring employment and business opportunities.
Sherman College Lyceum
Logan University Symposium
FCA National Convention & Expo
Palmer Homecoming
Life University Vision Extravaganza
Boiling Springs, SC
April 30 – May 2, 2026
Chesterfield, MO May 1-2, 2026
Orlando, FL
Davenport, IA
Atlanta, GA
Participating in a Local or Regional Chiropractic Event?
August 27 – 30, 2026
September 17 – 19, 2026
September 17 – 19, 2026
If you are a franchise organization or Co-op that is partnering with a professional chiropractic event in your area, email communications@thejoint.com with the name and date of the event for the opportunity to be featured in an upcoming issue of BackBone!
Each month, we’ll share newly-available support materials and guides that have been developed by the CSC to support franchisees and clinic teams. Explore the latest resources below!
Enable “Buy 5, Get 1” as Always On Option – The “Buy 5 Months, Get 1 Free” offer is now available as an always-on option for any clinic.
Submit a “Enable Always-On 5+1 Plan for Clinic(s)” Help Desk request to have it turned on for your clinic.
CareCredit Participation Survey – Franchisees who would like to offer CareCredit at their clinics can complete a short form to indicate their interest and connect with a CareCredit representative.
Interested? Complete the survey.
Restoring Facebook Page Access and Instagram Connections – The CSC has transitioned all clinic Facebook pages from OTT’s Business Manager to The Joint Corp.’s Business Manager.
• Download: Step-by-step procedures for restoring Page access and Instagram connections
• Submit: Marketing Listing and System Access Request Ticket
Download the complete list of available toolkits, user guides, and instructional webinars.
The Joint is introducing the Align One Re-Activation Campaign, a new direct marketing campaign designed to re-engage former Wellness Plan members and other qualifying patients.
When does the campaign start? Wednesday, April 1
When does the campaign end? Thursday, April 30 at close of business
Who qualifies? Walk-In patients who canceled their Wellness Plan on or after April 1, 2024, and are opted in to receive email and SMS communications from The Joint.
Align One Re-Activation Campaign
Eligible patients will receive an email, SMS or mobile app notification highlighting the Align One plan as a flexible option to restart their chiropractic routine. The messaging will encourage them to visit their local clinic, learn more and sign up.
Read more in the Align One ReActivation Campaign Guide
Questions? Please contact regionalmarketing@thejoint.com
Each month we highlight the performance leaders on some of our critical metrics. Find out who made the February leaderboards below!