Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) frequently results in profound neurological impairment and long-term limitations in activities of daily living. Malnutrition is common in the early post-injury period and may negatively influence neurological and functional recovery; however, the prognostic value of early nutritional status after SCI remains incompletely understood. This study investigated the association between nutritional status in the subacute phase and subsequent neurological and functional outcomes in patients with cervical SCI. Ninety-one patients with acute traumatic cervical SCI admitted within 72 hours of injury and followed for at least six months were retrospectively analyzed. Neurological recovery was assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score, and functional independence was evaluated using the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM). Nutritional status at four weeks after injury was assessed using three commonly used indices: the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), and the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score. Patients with better nutritional status at four weeks demonstrated more favorable neurological and functional recovery at six months. Among the nutritional indices examined, higher PNI values were consistently associated with greater improvement in ASIA motor scores and SCIM outcomes. GNRI and CONUT were also related to neurological recovery; however, their associations were comparatively weaker. Multivariable analyses adjusting for demographic and baseline clinical factors indicated that PNI remained independently associated with neurological recovery, suggesting that it captures clinically relevant aspects of nutritional and inflammatory status in the early post-injury phase. These findings suggest that early nutritional status is closely linked to neurological recovery after cervical SCI. In particular, PNI may serve as a practical and informative marker for identifying patients at risk of suboptimal recovery. Early nutritional assessment using simple indices may help guide clinical decision-making and support strategies aimed at optimizing neurological and functional outcomes following cervical SCI.