Conversation so far:
What was Lionel Barrymore's main medical issue?
Several sources argue that arthritis alone confined Lionel Barrymore to a wheelchair.
How did Lionel Barrymore's arthritis affect him?
Lionel Barrymore was addicted to morphine due to arthritis by 1929.

Question: Was it always severe?
Self-contained rewrite: Was Lionel Barrymore's arthritis always severe?