Final answer:
Stiff suboccipital muscles can impair cervical movements such as rotation, flexion, extension, and lateral flexion of the neck.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impaired Cervical Movements Due to Stiff Suboccipital Muscles
Stiff suboccipital muscles can impair a variety of cervical movements. Specifically, these muscles play a significant role in enabling the rotation of the head. When the suboccipital muscles become stiff or tight, they can restrict the ability to rotate the head to the left or right. In addition to rotation, the suboccipital muscles contribute to other movements such as flexion and extension of the cervical spine. Flexion is the forward bending of the neck, and extension is the straightening or backward bending of the neck. Lateral flexion, the bending of the neck to the side, is also influenced by these muscles. Thus, when suboccipital muscles are stiff, they can impair rotation, flexion, extension, as well as lateral flexion of the neck.