A minimally invasive method of introducing an electrode to electrically stimulate one or both vocal cords of a subject includes inserting a hollow needle from outside of the subjects body into a postcricoidal region lateral to a posterior cricoarytenoid muscle and forming an insertion path downwardly towards a cricothyroid joint of the subject. The method also includes introducing the electrode via the hollow needle and positioning the electrode relative to at least one vocal cord muscle of the subject based on the insertion path.
