When Elle Biegel was in chiropractic school, her instructor challenged the students to visualize their career path. She thought about it and realized that what she wanted more than anything was to work with the rock bands whose music she loved and had been listening to for years. That desire led to The Metal Chiro Project, a niche practice set up by Biegel and her husband, Kris Biegel ’19 H&HD, to offer chiropractic care to musicians backstage, on tour, and in the duo’s New York office.

“Musicians are truly remarkable in that they could be all sorts of banged up and yet still perform like nothing is wrong,” says Kris. “We’ve seen it all, from burnout and fatigue to repetitive stress injuries, to breaks and tears of bones and ligaments.”

Over the years, the Biegels have performed chiropractic adjustments on countless musicians from bands such as Megadeth, Black Veil Brides, Sum 41, Creed, Train, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Third Eye Blind, and more. “There are other chiropractors that have attended a show or two locally to bring care to the bands,” says Elle, “but we’re looking to take it to the next level and be the preferred chiropractors in the music industry.”

Apart from the more common repetitive stress injuries—Elle recently stabilized the shoulder of a member of the band Catch Your Breath so he could continue playing and finish his tour—and posture correction, The Metal Chiro Project also offers a “soft landing” space for artists to tune out and enjoy the relaxation that chiropractic therapies can bring. Focusing on mental health is a big part of the practice’s mission, says Kris—a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a member of Penn State’s University Veteran Organization while a student—because musicians are prone to mental and emotional anguish as a result of lengthy tours, long stretches away from home, and their high-profile lifestyles. —Parizaad Khan Sethi