Pyramiding
VA Terminology Definition
Plain English Definition
The VA's rule against paying you twice for the same symptoms - you can't get separate ratings for overlapping disabilities.
Why This Matters
Anti-pyramiding rules prevent rating the same manifestation of a disability under multiple diagnostic codes. However, if conditions cause DIFFERENT symptoms, they can be rated separately.
Example
You have knee arthritis causing pain and limited motion. You can't get separate ratings for 'knee pain' and 'knee arthritis' because they're the same symptoms. But you could get separate ratings for limited flexion AND instability because those are different impairments.