Is spinal surgery necessary for a disc tear between c7 and t1? has pt alone been found to be successful for this type of injury?

Not necessary: Surgery is absolutely not necessary for a disc tear and in fact, the vast majority of patients will do just fine with conservative treatment, whether that's pt or spinal injections or medications or even just simply observation and time.

Sometimes: Depends on how severe disc problem is conservative treatment is almost always a good start.