To provide a positive indication that a medical lead terminal is properly secured within the longitudinal bore in the header of an implantable medical device there is provided a force sensor (strain gauge) positioned within the device's lead receiving bore and cooperating with the lock mechanism to provide an indication of the amount of force being exerted on the lead terminal to retain it in place. The force sensor provides an output signal through the device's feedthrough wires to the electronic circuit contained within a hermetically sealed housing and is compared by a microprocessor to preprogrammed values. The results of the comparison may then be telemetered to an external programmer device for analysis by a physician.