The present invention provides improved methods for positioning of an implantable lead in a patient with an integrated EMG and stimulation clinician
programmer. The integrated clinician
programmer is coupled to the implantable lead, wherein the implantable lead comprises at least four electrodes, and to at least one EMG sensing
electrode minimally invasively positioned on a
skin surface or within the patient. The method comprises delivering a test stimulation at a stimulation amplitude level from the integrated clinician
programmer to a nerve tissue of the patient with a principal
electrode of the implantable lead. Test stimulations are delivered at a same stimulation amplitude level for a same period of time sequentially to each of the four electrodes of the implantable lead. A stimulation-induced EMG motor response is recorded with the integrated clinician programmer for each test stimulation on each
electrode of the implantable lead via the at least one pair of EMG sensing electrodes so as to facilitate initial positioning of the implantable lead at a target stimulation region.