That muffled hearing and pressure pain is caused by the difference in air pressure between your inner ear and the cabin. Usually, your Eustachian tubes (the canals connecting your middle ear to your throat) equalize this pressure automatically. But after a rapid descent, they can get "locked," trapping vacuum pressure behind your eardrum.
The safest and best way is Toynbee maneuver + gentle Valsalva only if needed — never force, never rush. Patience and low pressure preserve your hearing. best way to pop your ears after a flight