Abstract: Trauma to the spinal cord initiates an inflammatory response that results in secondary injury to the surrounding tissue, thereby exacerbating the effects of the initial injury. These secondary injury effects are contributed to, in part, by the activation of complement and the associated inflammatory reaction at the site of injury. The present invention describes a method for treating and/or ameliorating these secondary effects and improving locomotor function of a vertebrate that has suffered a spinal cord injury by administering a complement inhibitory protein to the individual as soon as possible after the initial injury occurs. According to this method, by inhibiting the activation of complement, inflammation and the resulting secondary tissue injury are reduced, thereby improving the prognosis of a patient suffering a spinal cord injury.