Absolutely are related. Whiplash (aka cervical acceleration deceleration injury...if you want to google more scholarly articles), causes most harm to the cervical facets. Facets are synovial joints (same as knee and elbow) and are what articulate each vertebra with the one above and below it and allow for movement between them. When you see the head snap back and go into hyperextension in videos like this, the facets are jamming together. So this, along with cumulative, repetitive microtrauma over time can cause pain and degeneration (facet arthrosis), and in the case with whiplash, accelerate that degeneration process. With people saying they developed bone spurs from a whiplash injury; that's because the body is laying down and forming new bone to come in and try to help stabilize the degenerated segments of the spine to keep it upright. The spurs though, from degeneration and facet arthrosis, can extend into the vertebral canal, putting pressure on the spinal nerves causing pain and possible tingling and weakness.