I came to my interview with Frances “Frankie” McCullough, the owner of MuscleCare Inc./Red Light Health in Bloomfield Hills on the outskirts of West Bloomfield, with a long list of questions. I didn’t get to ask a single one.
“Is there anything you want to say before we start?” I asked. Frankie began to speak—and her wisdom just tumbled out. There wasn’t room for questions…but there wasn’t a need for them either.
“I’ve always been a healer,” she begins, recounting early memories of learning from her grandmother, a traditional healer. “She would use cupping, energy work—things people now think of as alternative medicine but were just part of our lives.”
Frankie watched her grandmother’s methods ease pain and transform lives. It planted a seed that would eventually grow into a decades-long career.
The community Frankie serves has given her another nickname: “best kept secret.” Word of Frankie’s healing talents spread organically—one person’s relief becoming another’s recommendation. “People started passing me around, like a gift,” Frankie laughs. “I don’t advertise much because word-of-mouth has always brought the right people to me.”
Frankie’s journey to becoming one of the area’s most sought-after healers took her from California healing institutes to working with Fortune 500 executives, professional athletes and other public figures. “I’ve been blessed to work with incredible people, but at the end of the day, everyone deserves to feel whole and well,” she says.
For 45 years—13 at her current location—Frankie has given clients relief from physical, emotional and spiritual pain. Though MuscleCare Inc. offers a variety of therapies, Frankie’s groundbreaking red-light treatments have become a cornerstone of her practice. Red-light therapy reduces inflammation, promotes cellular repair and alleviates pain.
“Red light works on the cellular level,” Frankie explains. “It stimulates mitochondria—the powerhouses of your cells—to repair and rejuvenate. It’s incredible for reducing inflammation, easing chronic pain, improving mental clarity and even tightening skin.”
Frankie says red-light therapy originated with NASA research: “They used red light to grow plants in space—and noticed profound health benefits in the scientists working with it,” she says. “Their skin improved, their energy increased—it was a revelation.”
Clients rave about its transformative effects: Trina Samolin did red-light therapy after five breast surgeries. “Sensation and feeling are coming back in my breast,” Trina says, “which is a miracle in itself. It’s also helped with my MS, inflammation, skin and even weight loss.” Another client, Eava, recalls coupling her massage with red-light therapy: “It was incredible. The inflammation in my neck and shoulders significantly reduced, and I left feeling relaxed and much more mobile.”
Frankie’s approach to red-light therapy is not one-size-fits-all. She listens carefully to her clients’ needs, so she can combine the right treatments that will amplify clients’ benefits. Frankie pairs red-light therapy with treatments like cupping, fascia release and sometimes a vibration plate and PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) mats. “The vibration plate helps move lymph and toxins out of the body, while the PEMF mat calms the nervous system. It’s a holistic reset,” she says.
Rachel Madi, a client who suffered from severe sciatica, declares, “Frankie’s treatments are the only thing that works for me. Because of her, I’m able to function as a mother and wife. I am so thankful I found her.”
The science of healing fascinates Frankie—including its fairly recent understanding that pain and emotions are linked. “All pain has an emotional component,” she notes. “When we address the root—whether it’s physical or emotional—the healing is so much more profound.”
Her intuitive healing complements these modern modalities. Frankie listens—to bodies, to energy and to the unspoken. “Healing isn’t about fixing,” she says. “It’s about witnessing. People don’t need a mechanic; they need someone to sit with them and see their humanity.”
Frankie’s innate wisdom has played a significant role in her practice. “I’ve always had a sense of knowing,” she shares, recounting moments when clients were stunned by her insights. “It’s not something I learned; it’s something I’ve always had. But it’s not about me. Healing isn’t something I do to people—it’s something I guide them through. I help people connect with themselves.”
When that self-connection is reestablished, many clients describe emotional and spiritual breakthroughs, as well as physical ones, during their sessions. Rohini Ramakrishnan believes Frankie has “divine hands. She talks to your body, listens to where the pain and trauma are stored, and releases it. It felt like she removed pain not just from my body but from my mind as well. It was an emotional journey.”
Despite her acclaim, Frankie remains humble, crediting her clients for their own healing journeys. “I’m just a conduit,” she insists. “The healing comes from them. I just help them find it. I’m in awe of the human body’s ability to heal itself. Every time someone walks out of here feeling better, it’s a reminder of why I do this.”
As our interview wraps up, I realize Frankie did with me what she does with her clients: she let the story unfold, trusted the process and somehow managed to answer every question I didn’t need to ask. I wonder if Frankie’s methods can work for anyone. Her response is simple but impactful: “We all have the power to heal. Sometimes, we just need someone to remind us of that.”
To learn more or schedule a session, visit musclecareinc.com